The intensity of the labor process: concept, classification, assessment methodology

Under the concept of the intensity of the labor process is meant a special characteristic that reflects the impact on the person. It takes into account what kind of load his sensory organs and the central nervous system can withstand. The emotional sphere of work also falls under these criteria.

General classification of indicators

All of them are expressed in a qualitative or quantitative manifestation. Their groups are formed according to the following types of loads:

1. Mental.

2. Sensory.

3. Nervous.

4. Monotonous.

5. Modal.

It is necessary to analyze the intensity of the labor process at each work site or place. The assessment is based on the study of factors such as:

1. Labor activities of employees.

2. Job descriptions.

3. Observations in the framework of timekeeping (photo and video materials from the work shift).

4. Expert opinion.

Categories of working conditions are determined by all indicators of the intensity of the labor process. There are 23 in total. They are reflected in the management of R 2.2.2006-05.

Tables of indicators

Below are data on the main criteria for the intensity of the labor process.

Intellectual work.

Designations in the table:

PD - amendment of actions;

PO - subsequent operations;

DW - lack of time.

Sensory exposure.

The following notation is used here:

% DRD– percentage of the working day;

<- the indicator is less;

> -more;

m - meters.

Emotional influence.

Designations:

FC - functional quality;

Responsibility.

Factors of monotony.

Mode factors.

Abbreviations:

NF - night format.

Class Nuances

According to the methodology for assessing the intensity of the labor process, the above indicators determine their categories of working conditions.

And regardless of the specialty, all these parameters should be taken into account, and not some of them individually.

If according to the specifics of work one of the parameters is not reflected, then it is assigned class 1 - a light degree.

Setting classes in the final assessment of tension is as follows:

1. The first class is optimal. It is set when at least 17 indicators correspond to it, while the others belong to clause 2. Moreover, there are no parameters in clause 3.
2. The second is valid. It is fixed in the presence of at least 6 indicators related to it. Others correspond to clause 1. And 1-5 parameters - clause 3.
3. The third is harmful. A minimum of 6 indicators are associated with it.

Labor of level 3.1 is interpreted when it belongs to:

- 6 parameters, others are paragraphs 1 and 2.

- 3-5 indicators, 1-3 - this is class 3.2

Labor of degree 3.2 is fixed in the following ratio of parameters:

- 6 belong to him;

- more than 6 - class 3.1;

- 1-5 - category ZL, 4-5 answer him.

If there are more than 6 points 3.2, the intensity of the labor process is interpreted one step higher. Activities are defined as extremely complex and dangerous. Conditions for her are uncomfortable and harmful to health.

This may include work in the mine. There is a threat to life, and increased noise, and the presence of harmful substances in the air.

Intellectual work

It involves the perception and processing of a significant amount of information, and assimilates the operations of its reception and transmission. Here thinking, memory and attention work intensively, but mobile activity sharply decreases.

The main factor in mental work is the tension characterizing the effect on the central nervous system. Energy expenditures per day here lie in the range of 2500 - 3000 kcal. These parameters vary depending on the position in which the person is working. Such changes are reflected below:

With such intense activity, the brain needs more energy - about 15-20% of the total metabolism that occurs in the body.

The growth of total expenses is determined by the level of psychoemotional stress. Parameters in percentage change based on the type of work, for example:

• if an employee reads aloud in a sitting position, energy consumption increases by 48%;
• if conducting lectures - by 90%;
• engaged in camera work on computers - 90-100%.

It also takes into account the tendency of the brain to inertia. Therefore, after the completion of labor, mental operations continue. As a result, there is even more fatigue and exhaustion of the central nervous system, if we compare mental and physical labor.

With intellectual activity, nervous tension is formed, depending on the level, responsibility and risk of work. If an individual plan is used for its implementation, then the load is minimal.

Side effects of mental operations

With psychoemotional stress, tachycardia forms, blood pressure rises, ECG changes and oxygen demand increases. For the competent conduct of intellectual work, it is required to enter it systematically with a rhythm.

Intellectually emotional stress is accompanied by a powerful reduction in motor activity. This factor is called hypokinesia. Its consequences are:

• worsening heart function;
• mental oppression (if the load is prolonged);
• impaired attention and memory.

Sensory activity

This is a job involving scrupulous observation (calculated in% of the time interval of the entire shift). And the higher this indicator, the greater the intensity of the labor process. The entire shift time is considered as 100%.

It also analyzes the density of pulses expressed in the flows of sound and light, and messages in one working hour. The more of them, the more serious the informational impact.

The objects of synchronous observation are also taken into account. The more of them, the more intense the work. The employee must simultaneously distribute the amount of attention to 4-8 isolated objects. These are the minimum requirements that an employee in this field must meet.

And the visual system is loaded more heavily under the following conditions:

• The smaller the parameter of the object and the longer the observation interval. This is especially true for activities with microscopes, magnifiers and other optical products.

• The longer look focuses on the video terminal monitor.

In this work, the hearing aid is also loaded. The contractor works in conditions of increased dB. In such a noise, he is obliged to perceive speech and other sound signals.

The impact on the vocal mechanism depends on the duration of the speech loads (calculation of hours per week). Without rest in this activity, the voice is overexerted and concomitant pathologies may develop, for example, laryngitis.

Emotional factors

The following items appear here:

1. The degree of responsibility for the result of their own activities and the consequences of error. It indicates how much the employee is able to influence the fruits of his labor operations under various conditions in terms of complexity. The higher the level, the more serious the emotional load. This criterion analyzes the employee's responsibility for the quality of the components of the tasks of all work or the final product.
2. The level of threat to your life. At the work site, the presence of factors posing a danger to the life of the staff is studied, and the potential range of their impact is identified. This indicator identifies areas where there is a direct threat. This is especially true when working in a mine, quarry, etc.
3. Bearing a direct safety guarantee for other persons. It is determined by the job description.
4. Conflict provisions per shift. This factor is inherent in the work in the police, army, pedagogical activity, etc. Because of it, the load increases significantly and such situations are quantified on the basis of timing observation.
5. The number of components (techniques), due to which a simple task is carried out.
6. The duration of paragraph 5. The smaller and shorter their interval, the more impressive the monotony of the loads. This is especially true for conveyor production. Operations are characterized as monotonous due to their uniformity and low information content.
7. Duration of active operations (% of the total shift time). The shorter and longer the observation period for such work, the more monotonous the load.

Mode Factors

The very number of shifts and the pace of work do not affect the actual length of the working day. Its standards are as follows:

• 6-8 hours (example - telegraph workers);
• up to 12 hours (heads of plants, factories);
• at least 12 hours (doctors, police, etc.).

The higher the duration of labor, the greater the total load.

The shift order is interpreted by in-house documentation.

Regulatory breaks and their duration are also related to regime issues. They are also reflected in the official documents of the organization.

Insufficient time for them or their absence only increases labor tension. Reason: there is no short-term defense against the influence of the work process.

Characteristics in the production environment

Here, the severity of the workflow is reflected in the following quantities:

1. Impact in terms of physiology and dynamics.
2. The number of stereotypical manipulations.
3. Statistical load.
4. Working position.
5. The slopes of the body.
6. Movement in space.

Physiological and dynamic effects

Calculation units - external mechanical activity per shift - kg / m.

At this value, taking into account the distance of the deployment of goods, it is determined to which category of working conditions this work belongs.

The mass of the moved and lifted weight is measured manually. For this, commodity scales are used. This indicator is also determined by the accompanying documentation.

Stereotypical manipulations

They are calculated in total per shift. Both hands are counted. Motion data can be:

• local: carried out by the fingers and muscles of the hands, from 60 to 250 movements per minute;
• regional: implemented by the muscles of the arms and shoulders, the pace is more calm.

The work interval is detected in two ways:

1. Timing observations.
2. Photos of the working day.

Static load

This value is calculated per shift. Hold load and application of force are taken into account. Measured in kgf / s.

The fixed load may be the tool or item being processed.

An application of force is the control of handles or hand wheels. To calculate it, you need to multiply two indicators: the mass of the cargo and the duration of its retention.

Position in the work process

His character is revealed visually. It also has such varieties:

1. Free. These are comfortable sitting positions. They allow you to change the working position of the whole body or its parts, lean on the back of the seat.
2. Inconvenient. This is the position in which the body is significantly tilted or rotated. In this case, the arms rise above the line of the shoulders, and the legs are placed extremely uncomfortable.
3. Fixed. It does not change the mutual posture of different parts of the body in relation to each other. Most often this happens when working with optical magnifying devices.
4. Forced. This is a recumbent position, squatting, kneeling, etc.

Housing tilts

This indicator is also calculated for one working day. To get the result, 2-4 times during working hours, directly count their number over a certain period - usually it is 15-20 minutes. Then the inclinations for the total operating time are revealed. An alternative calculation comes down to identifying their number for a single action and multiplying it by the number of actions per working day.

Space movements

This value interprets transitions that depend on the technical process and occur during the shift. They can be horizontal or vertical.

The simplest method of calculating this indicator is the use of a pedometer. This device determines the steps per shift. Their number is multiplied by their length. The result is expressed in km.