Module 4: Physical Ergonomics – Work

Physiology
Engr. Suzette M. Mercado, PIE, Asean Eng

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 Outline

⊳ Introduction
⊳ Learning Objectives
⊳ What is Work Physiology?
⊳ Metabolism
⊳ Basal Metabolic Rate
⊳ Energy Expenditure
⊳ Rest Periods
⊳ Reference
⊳ Questions for Discussion
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 Introduction
Physical work activities are still common in developing countries where mechanization has yet to pay
off in the light of easily available labor. Even the physical work demands in manufacturing have been
substantially reduced, there are still many situations which require ergonomic analysis. Furthermore, people
perform widely different tasks in daily work situations. For example, in the construction industry materials
are typically carried by workers. These tasks must be matched with human capabilities to avoid
“underloading”, in which human capacities are not utilized properly, as well as “overloading”, which may
cause the employee to break down and suffer reduced performance capability or even permanent damage.
In this module, we will discuss the other aspect in physical ergonomics which is work physiology. Work
physiology is a phase in industrial engineering that considers metabolic cost, measurement and prevention of
work strain, and other ergonomic factors in the design of tasks and workplaces.
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 Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this module the students will be able to:

1. Analyze the impact of physical load, biological variation and
biomechanics on proper safe working condition.
2. Use biomechanical and physiological approaches and criteria
to quantify physical exposures and assess risk within tasks.

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Physical Ergonomics: Work Physiology

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 What is Work Physiology ?

⊳ Physiology -a branch of biology concerned with the vital processes of living

organisms and how their constituent tissues and cells function.
⊳ It is important in work because work requires expenditure of physical energy.
⊳ Work physiology is a term associated with industrial engineering that is
concerned how the human body copes with physical stress, work strain, and the
working environment.

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 What is Work Physiology ?

⊳ Experts in this field study the physical toll that work takes on a person in order
to minimize it. They need to understand how the body performs under a variety
of environmental conditions, the amount of rest it requires, and when it can
work at peak levels.
⊳ This branch of physiology also studies the changes that result in the human body
as a result of being exposed to single or multiple instances of work stress.

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Capacity for physical work

⊳ One of the main reasons for taking an interest in work physiology is to consider
variations in work capacity between individuals. One important difference is
physical condition.
⊳ A highly trained individual (such as a marathon runner) can sustain 50% of the
maximal aerobic capacity for an 8-hour work-day; an average individual can
sustain 35%, and an untrained individual 25%.
⊳ Chronological age is a fairly poor determinant of work capacity. A definite
conclusion is that the variability between individuals increases with age.

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Capacity for physical work

⊳ An individual’s physical tolerance to physical work is usually

determined by the capacity of his or her cardiovascular and
respiratory systems to deliver oxygen to the working muscles and
to metabolize chemically stored energy.
⊳ Metabolism, respiration, and circulation are just a few of the body
systems that physiologist's study. They also examine skeletal,
muscular, and cardiovascular activity of human.
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 2 Metabolism

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“Energy to perform physical activity provided by metabolism”

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 What is Metabolism?

⊳ Metabolism is defined as the conversion of foodstuffs into mechanical work and

heat (Astrand, Rodahl, Dahl, and Stromme, 2003).
⊳ In order to be useful to the body, the foodstuff is converted into a high-energy
compound adenosine triphosphate (ATP). ATP serves as a fuel transport
mechanism. It can release chemical energy to fuel internal work in the various
body organs.
⊳ It is the sum of the biochemical reactions that occur in the cells of living
organisms.

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 Functions of Metabolism

1. Provide energy for vital processes and activities, including muscle contraction.

2. Assimilate or integrate new organic material into the body.

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 Types of Metabolism

1. Basal metabolism –energy used only to sustain the vital circulatory and
respiratory functions
2. Activity metabolism –energy associated with physical activity
3. Digestive metabolism –energy used for digestion

Daily metabolic rates:

TMRd= BMRd+ AMRd+ DMRd

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 Energy Expenditure Rates

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 Energy Expenditure Rates

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 Metabolism at Work

⊳ Once work has begun, it takes some time for the metabolism to catch up with
the energy expenditure of the muscles that are engaged in work.
⊳ In fact, metabolism does not reach a stable level until several minutes after work
has begun. The amount of time taken depends upon how hard the work is but is
typically about 5 minutes.
⊳ Thus, the metabolic activity (or oxygen uptake) does not increase suddenly at
the start of work. Rather, there is a gradual, smooth increase in oxygen.

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 Work Activity and Energy Expenditure

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 Oxygen Debt

⊳ Difference between amount of oxygen needed by muscles during physical

activity and amount of oxygen supplied
⊳ Occurs at start of physical activity after body has been at rest
⊳ There is a time lag before the body can respond to increased need for oxygen
⊳ Glycolysis is anaerobic during this time lag
⊳ Oxygen debt must be repaid, so when activity stops, breathing and heart rate
continue at high levels

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Basal Metabolic Rate

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 Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)

⊳ A person’s Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is the daily amount of energy their body
requires if at rest in a comfortable environment.
⊳ BMR is the number of calories required to keep your body functioning at rest.
⊳ This energy is used to support the functioning of the human body.
⊳ Some processes that factor into the BMR of a person are things like breathing,
blood circulation, nerve function, brain activity, and support of vital organs.
⊳ The energy used or “burned” in these processes generally ends up in the form of
heat consumed by the body.

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 “
“Basal metabolic rate is the number of calories your body needs
to accomplish its most basic (basal) life-sustaining functions.”

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 Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)

⊳ The basal metabolic rate: depends on the individual’s weight, gender, heredity,
percentage of body fat, etc.
For a 20-year old male, BMRh//kg: 1.0 kcal per kg of body weight
For a 20-year old female, BMRh//kg: 0.9 kcal per kg of body weight
Note:
Age correction: subtract 2% for each decade above 20 years,
Therefore:
BMRh/kg = Basal metabolic rate of a 20-year old female X (1 - Age correction)

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 Example 1 (BMR)

Given: 27-year-old woman who weighs 52 kg. Determine the daily basal metabolism
rate per minute.
She is 0.70 decade [(27 – 20)/10] older than 20 years
Age correction: 0.70(0.02) = 0.014
Basal metabolic rate of a 20-year- old female: 0.9 kcal per kg of body weight
⊳ BMRh/kg = 0.9(1 - 0.014) = 0.8874 kcal/hr/kg of body weight
For 24 hours:
⊳ BMRd = 0.8874(52)(24) = 1107.4752 kcal/day
⊳ BMRm = 1107.4752/((24)(60)) = 0.77 kcal/min

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 Example 2 (BMR)
Given: 40-year-old man who weighs 70 kg. Determine the daily basal metabolism rate
per minute.
He is 2 decades [(40 – 20)/10] older than 20 year
Age correction: 2.0(0.02) = 0.04
Basal metabolic rate of a 20-year old male: 1.0 kcal per kg of body weight
⊳ BMRh/kg = 1.0(1 - 0.04) = 0.96kcal/hr/kg of body weight
For 24 hours:
⊳ BMRd = 0.96(70)(24) = 1612.8 kcal/day
⊳ BMRm = 1612.8/((24)(60)) = 1.12 kcal/min
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Energy Expenditure

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 Energy
⊳ When we consume plant and animal products, the carbohydrates, fats, and protein
(energy-containing macronutrients) are broken down during digestion, releasing
energy and nutrients.
⊳ Some of the energy from these foods is used immediately for various body
functions, and some is stored as energy to be used at a later time.
⊳ The chemical energy provided by food is ultimately transformed into mechanical
energy. Mechanical energy is the capacity to do work (e.g., muscle contraction).
⊳ As the intensity of work increases, energy requirements also increase. For
example, if we exercise at low intensity for 10 minutes, the amount of energy
expended will be far less than if we exercise at high intensity for 10 minutes.
⊳ The use of energy during work is referred to as energy expenditure (EE).
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 Energy

⊳ Energy is measured in units called calories.

⊳ Most of the food we eat contains energy, and everything we do (even sleeping)
requires energy, resulting in caloric expenditure.
⊳ The measure of the energy value in food and physical activity is expressed in
several forms: kilocalorie (kcal) or Calorie (equal to 1000 calories).
1 kcal = 1 Calorie = 1000 calories

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 Energy Expenditure

⊳ Energy expenditure is the amount of energy that a person needs to carry out
physical functions such as breathing, circulating blood, digesting food, or
exercising.
⊳ Energy is measured in calories, and your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) is
the number of calories you burn each day.
⊳ To prevent weight gain, energy intake must be balanced with energy expenditure.

Note:
The energy found in food is measured in kilocalories, or calories as we commonly
refer to them.
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 Energy Expenditure

⊳ The human body spends energy for many different purposes, such as life-
sustaining metabolic functions, digestion, and physical activity. Regardless of the
purpose for which the body spends energy, the energy expenditure will fall within
one of the following three categories:
⊳ basal or resting metabolic rate (BMR or RMR)
⊳ thermic effect of food (TEF)
⊳ energy expenditure of activity (EEA)

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 Energy Expenditure
⊳ Basal or resting metabolic rate (BMR or RMR) is the amount of energy per minute
the body uses to maintain a quiet resting state.
⊳ Thermic effect of food (TEF) is the energy required to process the food we eat.
Approximately 10% of the calories in a meal are used to digest, metabolize, and
store the food just eaten.
Digestive Metabolism = 10% (BMR + AMR)
⊳ Energy expenditure of activity (EEA) or Activity metabolism rate is the amount of
energy needed to fuel body movement as it occurs in activities of daily living,
including exercise.
Daily metabolic rates:
TMRd= BMRd+ AMRd+ DMRd
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 Energy Expenditure Rate

⊳ Recommended Energy Expenditure

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 Energy Expenditure Rates

⊳ The energy expenditure rates are assumed to be for a person who weighs 72 kg
(160 lb).
⊳ If a person’s weight differs from 72 kg (160 lb), then an adjustment should be
made by multiplying the ER value by the ratio:
a) W/72 if the weight is given in kg; or
b) W/160 if the weight is given in lb.

where, W = the person’s body weight.

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 Example 1 (Energy Expenditure Rates)

Given:
⊳ 35-year-old and 130 lb woman
⊳ Sleeps 8 hours
⊳ Walks to and from work for 1 hour at 4.5 km/hr
⊳ Stands for 2 hours
⊳ Performs soldering work for 6 hours while seated
⊳ Watches TV and rests for 7 hr

Determine her total metabolic rate for 24- hour period

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 Example (Energy Expenditure Rates)

⊳ Answer to the
example given:

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 Example 2 (Energy Expenditure Rates)

A worker is 40 years old and weighs 160 lb. He sleeps 8 hours each night
during which time his average energy expenditure rate is assumed to be at
the basal metabolic rate. The physical requirements of his job result in an
average energy expenditure rate of 4 kcal/min over the 8-hour shift.
During his remaining non-working, non-sleeping hours, his activity level
results in an energy expenditure rate that averages 1.7 kcal/min. His
digestive metabolism is assumed to be 10 percent of the total of his basal
and activity metabolic rates over the 24-hour period of the day. What is his
daily total metabolic rate?

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 Example 2 (Energy Expenditure Rates)

⊳ Answer to the
example given:

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 5
Rest Periods

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 Rest Periods

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 Rest Periods

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 Example 1 (Rest Periods)

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 Example 2 (Rest Periods)

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 Example 2 (Rest Periods)

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 Example 3 (Rest Periods)

⊳ A female worker performs physical labor that has an energy

expenditure rate of 4.8 kcal/min for 35 minutes. During the
rest breaks, his energy expenditure rate is estimated to be
0.95 kcal/min. Determine an appropriate length of a rest
break.

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 Example 3 (Rest Periods)

Answer:
⊳ The energy expenditure rate of the physical activity at the
maximum time-weighted average during shift for female
worker: 4 kcal/min.

⊳ Trst= [35(4.8 – 4.0)]/(4.0 – 0.95) = 28/3.05 = 9.18 = 9.2

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 Time-weighted Average Energy
Expenditure Rate

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 Example (Time-weighted Ave. ER)

A male worker performs a repetitive task that requires an energy

expenditure rate of 7.5 kcal/min for 4.0 hours. Each hour, he
works 40 minutes and takes a 20-min rest break. During the rest
breaks, his energy expenditure rate is estimated to be 1.5
kcal/min. Determine the time-weighted average energy
expenditure.

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 Example (Time-weighted Ave. ER)

Answer:

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 Example

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 Answer

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 “
“Physical workload can be evaluated in terms of the physiological
cost to the worker of carrying out the work. Oxygen consumption
and heart rate are objective measures of workload.”

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 “
Despite the global trend to replace manual work with mechanized
and automated systems, physiological aspects of work design are
of great importance in view of the modern interest in eliminating
avoidable ill-health. In low-technology jobs, the problems of
avoiding excessive physical stress remain. In high-technology
jobs, the problem is to avoid mental overstress

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 References:

Lehto, M. R., Landry, S.J., Introduction to Human factors and Ergonomics for Engineers, 2nd Edition, CRC Press, 2013
http://ssu.ac.ir/cms/fileadmin/user_upload/Daneshkadaha/dbehdasht/khatamat_behdashti/kotobe_latin/Introduction_to_Ergonomics.pdf
https://www.pdfdrive.com/a-guide-to-human-factors-and-ergonomics-e34320317.html
https://www.khanacademy.org/
https://www.edu.gov.mb.ca/k12/cur/physhlth/frame_found_gr12/rm/module_c_lesson_2.pdf

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 Questions For
Discussion
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Question:

When metabolism is measured by the rate of oxygen consumed, the

metabolic rate increases rapidly at the onset of a physical task in an
exponential fashion to meet the task requirements. Describe briefly
what happens to the metabolic rate immediately after the individual
stops performing the task and rests. Explain how this change in
metabolic rate affects the design of jobs and job requirements.

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Problem 1:

Given: 47-year-old woman who weighs 56 kg. Determine the daily

basal metabolism rate per minute.

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Problem 2:

A 60-year-old man who weighs 65 kg. Determine the daily basal

metabolism rate per minute.

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Problem 3:

A worker is 40 years old and weighs 175 lb. He sleeps 8 hours each
night. The physical requirements of his job result in an average
energy expenditure rate of 5 kcal/min over the 8-hour shift. Going
to his work, he spends 1 hour with and energy expenditure rate of
2.7 kcal. During his remaining non-working, non-sleeping hours, his
activity level results in an energy expenditure rate that averages 1.5
kcal/min. What is his daily total metabolic rate?
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Problem 4:

A female worker performs a repetitive task that requires an energy

expenditure rate of 12.0 kcal/min for 8.0 hours. Each hour, she
works 45 minutes and takes a 15-min rest break. During the rest
breaks, her energy expenditure rate is estimated to be 1.5 kcal/min.
Determine the time-weighted average energy expenditure.

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