Occupational workload of Indian agricultural workers

Abstract

The occupational workload of 13 agricultural workers was determined during a summer season, on the basis of cardio respiratory responses and individual capacity to perform work. Thirty different agricultural operations were observed during the actual working season. V02maxof the workers was 34 8cm³min^-1 kg^-1, ranging from 28.6 to 41.5cm³ min^-1 kg^-1. Pulmonary ventilation during the operations varied from 14 to 411 min^-1; only water lifting, bund trimming in dry-land and pedal threshing operations demanded more than 301 min^-1, and these were found to be the heaviest jobs in agricultural work. About 29% of total man-hours are involved in light work, 64% in moderate work and only 6% in heavy work. Daily energy expenditure of the workers varied from 10.3 to 1l.7MJ,ofwhich 53% to 56% energy was expended during the working day (i.e. the time-weighted work demand was about 30 to 40% of [Vdot]O₂ max) and about one-fifth of total heat production of the body was external thermal load.