MINING-INDUSTRY
CARDIOVASCULAR-EFFECTS

CARDIAC FREQUENCY THROUGHOUT A WORKING SHIFT IN COAL MINERS

Heart rate (cardiac frequency) was recorded during work shifts for 73 underground coal miners at an underground coal mine in Spain which had an inclined seam and little mechanization. Subjects were divided into two groups: Group 1 included coalface workers who removed coal from the seam using handheld pneumatic hammers and group 2 included other mine workers. Group 1 miners had an average heart rate of 106.5 beats/minute. Group 2 miners had an average heart rate of 103.1 beats/minute. Average heart rates for the two groups were not related to age, maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max), or VO2max/kilogram of body weight. The peak heart rate at work decreased with increasing age. The results indicated that the average heart rate measured during mining activities varied considerably from subject to subject, and was largely unpredictable.

Ergonomics, 38(6):1250-1263, 1995. (16 references)

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