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Repetitive tasks can lead to long-term cardiovascular problems due to continuous strain and inadequate recovery. The automobile operators on the assembly line are exposed to these risks when workload volume changes according to the workstation type. However, the current ergonomic assessments focus primarily on observational and, in some cases, biomechanical methods that are subjective and time-consuming, overlooking cardiorespiratory adaptations. This study aimed to analyze the cardiorespiratory response to distinct workload volumes and ergonomic risk (ER) scores for an automotive assembly line. Sixteen male operators (age = 38 ± 8 years; BMI = 25 ± 3 kg·m2) volunteered from three workstations (H1, H2, and H3) with specific work cycle duration (1, 3, and 5 min respectively). Electrocardiogram (ECG), respiratory inductance plethysmography (RIP), and accelerometer (ACC) data were collected during their shift. The results showed significant differences from the first to the last 10 min, where H3 had its SDRRi reduced (p = 0.014), H1's phase synchrony and H2's coordination between thoracic and abdominal movements decreased (p < 0.001, p = 0.039). In terms of ergonomic risk, the moderate-high rank showed a reduction in SDRRi (p = 0.037) and moderate-risk activities had diminished phase synchrony (p = 0.018) and correlation (p = 0.004). Thus, the explored parameters could have the potential to develop personalized workplace adaptation and risk assessment systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proper working conditions must be one of the employers' main concerns in any type of company but particularly in work locations where the employees are chronically exposed to hazardous compounds, like factories and production lines. Regarding this challenge, the present research addresses the mapping of a car factory painting line to possibly toxic volatile organic compounds emitted by all the coatings and chemicals used during the work shifts for the future evaluation of employees' exposure. For the first time, a Gas Chromatography–Ion Mobility Spectrometry device was employed for the in situ detection of volatile organic compounds in an automotive factory. A total of 26 analytes were detected at nine different locations, of which 15 VOCs were accurately identified. Pure chemical-grade substances were used for the development of the VOC database. Although quantitative analysis was not the goal of this study, a calibration model was presented to one analyte for exemplificative purposes. Relative intensity profiles were plotted for all locations, revealing that some indoor VOCs can reach intensity levels up to 60 times higher than in outdoor air samples. The achieved results proved that the painting line has an abundant number of VOCs emitted from different sources and may lead to serious health risks for the employees. Additional studies shall be developed in the painting line for quantitative evaluation of the existing VOCs and their influence on the employees' health conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: The aging of the workforce is changing, but working conditions have not changed at the same exponential growth rate for senior workers. Such a situation can compromise the worker's physical and cognitive capability, reducing the ability to perform work activities. OBJECTIVES: This study aims to understand the main functional capacity changes in senior workers in the automotive industry and to determine the contribution of working conditions on the decline of the functional capacity in senior workers. METHODS: To achieve the objectives of the study, a set of questionnaires (Sociodemographic Data, COPSOQ, Nordic Questionnaire, and Par-Q) and a battery of 4 functional capacity tests were used. Results: Work conditions, namely awkward postures, force demands and manual material handling, and age, were statistically associated to the functional decline in workers. Additionally, multiple linear regression showed that height, weight, seniority, and strength have predictive value to the handgrip decline (both positions HG2 and HG5). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that workers' handgrip assessment should be considered as a future measure as an indicator of strength ability in the occupational field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The active workforce is increasingly aging. However workload, as well as working time and intensity, sometimes remains unchanged. This can be an even more critical situation in older people, since occupational exposure associated with aging, will further reduce the muscle's ability to generate energy, which in turn facilitates the development of these age-related syndromes. This study aims to identify the normative values of handgrip strength for Portuguese workers in the automotive industry. Methods: About 1225 employees were invited to participate in the study. The final sample consisted of 656 employees in the assembly area. The handgrip strength was measured in kilograms (kg) using the Jamar digital dynamometer. Sex-specific profiles of handgrip strength were designed by the Ordinary Least Square regression (OLS) analysis, where height, age, age squared, and height squared are entered into the models as determining factors of the maximum grip strength in both female and male groups. Results: The peak mean values of handgrip strength in the group of women was 34 kg in the age group of 35–39 years, and in the group of men the peak mean was 52 kg in the age group of 25–34 years. The most pronounced decline in the female group appears in the age of 30–34 years of about 4 kg and the male group the decline occurs at 2kg below the peak force, in the age group of 40–57 year-olds. This study used a cut-off at 2 SD below by the sex-specific peak mean. Conclusion: Normative values can help delineate the career path of workers because they portray risk values according to age, height, and gender. The normative values assist health and engineering professionals and ergonomists in adjusting task demands to the morphological and strength characteristics of the workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]