Subjectively assessed age-related stress and strain associated with working in the cold

Abstract

In the context of an age-differentiated workforce employment, two age groups out of 128 males and females who were employed in 24 deep cold-storage depots have been interrogated in order to identify their subjective experiences of working in the cold. In this study, 63 employees below the age of 35 and 65 employees above the age of 35 years represented the group of ‘Younger Subjects’ and ‘Older Subjects’. While order-picking groceries all Subjects (Ss) are exposed to environmental temperatures of approximately +3°C in a chill room and to −24°C in a cold store. By means of a standardised questionnaire, subjective experiences about, e.g. the physical strain, the current regulation of working time and warming-up breaks, the environmental conditions and the cold protective clothing were collected and analysed. In most cases, age-specific differences could not be detected. While the working environment was assessed quite similarly by younger and older Ss, the regulation of working time and warming-up breaks and the cold protective clothing were rated rather differently. With more often occurring and sometimes stronger cold sensations of the younger Ss, substantial differences between the two age groups could be detected.

Keywords:

• working in severe cold
• subjective evaluation
• age
• cold sensations
• workplace

Acknowledgements

This research was founded and supported by the German Research Foundation DFG (Grant no. STR 392/5-1). The authors are also thankful for the beneficial cooperation with the employees, and are grateful for the support provided by ALDI GmbH & Co. KG.