Fatigue Assessment on Key Punch Operators, Typists and Others

Abstract
With more mechanization of business in Japanese works, more female office workers have come to be engaged in key punching, typing, etc., and various subjective symptoms have been presented by female workers. Fatigue tests were made on these workers with the following results. A significant reduction of skin capillary width was observed in the right middle finger of key punchers after work. The mid dorsal hand skin showed the highest temperature before punching work with a gradual decrease during key punching work. Economically, a significant decrease in punching pressure and punching speed was found comparing early work with later punching. Such decrease of punching speed seems to be due to a kind of fatigue following the punching work. No marked relationship was observed between punching work and the flicker responses or calf circumferences. Significant differences were observed in grasping power and back strength between the group under medical treatment and a control group. Measurements of physical strength may afford a clue for an effective aptitude test of these workers. Because of local fatigue due to the repetitive movement of the upper limb and a static loading in keeping a certain posture, a clinical and ergonomics study is necessary, for the purpose of eliminating the disturbances.