This updated guideline replaces the “Guideline for the application of heart rate and heart rate variability in occupational medicine and occupational health science” first published in 2014. Based on the older version of the guideline, the authors have reviewed and evaluated the findings on the use of heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV) that have been published in the meantime and incorporated them into a new version of this guideline. This guideline was developed for application in clinical practice and research purposes in the fields of occupational medicine and occupational science to complement evaluation procedures with respect to exposure and risk assessment at the workplace by the use of objective physiological workload indicators. In addition, HRV is also suitable for assessing the state of health and for monitoring the progress of illnesses and preventive medical measures. It gives an overview of factors influencing the regulation of the HR and HRV at rest and during work. It further illustrates methods for measuring and analyzing these parameters under standardized laboratory and real workload conditions, areas of application as well as the quality control procedures to be followed during the recording and evaluation of HR and HRV.

During the COVID-19 pandemic there were far-reaching restrictions in work physiology research. Ongoing studies had to be interrupted or could only be continued under strict hygiene measures. This jeopardized both the quality of the research results and related academic qualifications (e.g., master thesis). This article therefore describes the experiences of scientists from four scientific institutions conducting work physiology research and teaching during the pandemic, which took place under different social, institutional and infrastructural conditions. On this basis, the authors developed a checklist that can be used to carry out a risk assessment for the performance of laboratory and field studies in work physiology under increased potential infection risk, e.g., during a new pandemic or a flu epidemic. The summary of experiences has shown that the occupational safety concepts developed must be constantly reviewed and adapted in accordance with legal requirements, the infection situation and the vaccination status within the population. Training the study teams in the correct application of the protective measures used was also considered important as was communicating with the study participants on which measures will be taken as part of their participation in the study. Furthermore, it is advisable to coordinate the occupational safety concept (including hygiene concept) with the advisory ethics committee and the occupational physician of the respective institution. The checklist itself describes the main hazards and corresponding protective measures so that hazards can be identified and appropriate measures can be derived. Although no SARS-CoV-2 infections related to the research activities were reported at the four sites, it must be acknowledged that the effectiveness of the measures used was not actively tested. Nevertheless, current studies on the effectiveness of different protective measures suggest that the developed checklist contains important and effective measures. A hierarchy of the measures was not undertaken but the protective measures were characterized according to the T-O-P principle.

ZusammenfassungWährend der COVID-19-Pandemie kam es zu weitreichenden Einschränkungen in der arbeitsphysiologischen Forschung. Laufende Studien wurden eingestellt oder konnten nur unter strengen Hygienemaßnahmen fortgeführt werden. Dies gefährdete sowohl die Qualität der Forschungsergebnisse als auch damit verbundene akademische Qualifikationsarbeiten. Im vorliegenden Artikel werden daher die Erfahrungen von Wissenschaftler*innen aus vier wissenschaftlichen Einrichtungen zur Umsetzung arbeitsphysiologischer Forschung und Lehre während der Pandemie geschildert, die unter verschiedenen gesellschaftlichen, institutionellen und infrastrukturellen Rahmenbedingungen abliefen. Die Autorengruppe hat auf dieser Basis eine Checkliste erarbeitet, mit der eine Gefährdungsbeurteilung für die Durchführung arbeitsphysiologischer Labor- und Feldforschung unter erhöhtem infektiösem Gefährdungspotenzial, wie z. B. während einer erneuten Pandemie- oder Grippewelle, durchgeführt werden kann. In der Zusammenführung der Erfahrungen zeigte sich, dass die entwickelten Arbeitsschutzkonzepte ständig überprüft und gemäß gesetzlichen Vorgaben, der Infektionslage sowie des Impfstatus innerhalb der Bevölkerung angepasst werden müssen. Auch die Schulung der Studienteams zur richtigen Anwendung der eingesetzten Schutzmaßnahmen wurde als wichtig erachtet, ebenso wie die Kommunikation mit den Studienteilnehmenden zu den ergriffenen Schutzmaßnahmen. Darüber hinaus ist es empfehlenswert, das Arbeitsschutzkonzept (inkl. Hygienekonzept) mit der beratenden Ethikkommission und dem Betriebsärztlichen Dienst der jeweiligen Forschungseinrichtung abzustimmen. In der Checkliste selbst werden die wesentlichen Gefährdungen mit passenden Schutzmaßnahmen beschrieben, so dass Gefährdungen erkannt und angemessene Maßnahmen abgeleitet werden können. Obwohl an den vier Standorten keine SARS-CoV-2-Infektionen aufgrund der Forschungsaktivitäten bekannt wurden, muss eingeräumt werden, dass die Wirksamkeit der eingesetzten Maßnahmen nicht aktiv überprüft wurde. Dennoch legen aktuelle Studien zur Wirksamkeit unterschiedlicher Schutzmaßnahmen nahe, dass die entwickelte Checkliste wichtige und wirkungsvolle Maßnahmen enthält. Eine Wichtung der Maßnahmen wurde nicht vorgenommen, jedoch wurden sie entsprechend dem T‑O-P-Prinzip charakterisiert.

BackgroundHybrid working arrangements that combine remote and office work are on the rise. Although hybrid work has been associated with mental health benefits in employees, challenges in the transformation to hybrid persist particularly in public administration organizations which have been connected to a pronounced culture of presence and inadequate technical infrastructure. Further evidence on the link between hybrid working conditions and employee health is needed. To support the establishment of healthy hybrid working conditions, this study aims to identify employees' job demands, resources and support needs in public administration.MethodsSemi-structured interviews were conducted with N = 13 employees who work hybrid in public administration organizations in Northern Germany between February and May 2023. Interviewees were asked about their perceived job demands, resources, and support needs in hybrid work. The data was analyzed in a deductive-inductive approach of qualitative content analysis, primarily supported by the job demands-resources model as a theoretical framework.ResultsSeveral job demands, e.g., an increase in work and meetings, and resources such as personal freedom and responsibility, were identified in the context of hybrid work. A multitude of the reported job resources and demands relate to work organization and social relationships. The results disclose discrepancies between participants' experiences of job demands and resources, underlining the subjectivity of employees' perceptions of hybrid working conditions. Interviewees' support needs for hybrid work also varied, encompassing structural-level aspects such as increased acceptance and promotion of hybrid work in the organization as well as behavioral-level aspects, for instance, strategies and self-discipline for boundaries and structure.ConclusionsThis study provides a first comprehensive overview of the job demands, resources and support needs in hybrid work in public administration. This study builds an important basis for further research to understand the impact of hybrid working conditions on health-related employee outcomes. The identified support needs provide a valuable point of reference for health-promoting hybrid working conditions which public administration employers should begin establishing as early as possible in the ongoing transition to hybrid work.

Abstract Background: Physical demands at work are a major source of work incapacity, resulting in significant expenditures. According to EU directive 90/269/EEC, occupational manual handling of loads needs to be avoided by technical and organisational measures. If this is not possible or sufficient, additional measures can be implemented, that focus on behavioural changes in the workers. This study evaluates how an educational training program developed for luggage handlers at Hamburg Airport effects their musculoskeletal load.Methods: This quasi-experimental open-label parallel group trial allocated workers into two groups, one involves the educational training program and the other group receiving no intervention. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the main follow-up observation had to be carried out 3-6 months after baseline instead of 7 months. The program consisted of 16 sessions in three simulated work scenarios. Transfer into practice was enhanced through visitations to the work place. The primary outcome was the weighted cumulative musculoskeletal load of the back, knee and shoulder. We assessed this by using a motion-capturing system and video recordings in order to calculate the cumulative weighted degree-seconds for each body region. Results: We recruited 52 male participants (mean age = 36, 39; sd = 10, 9.5) for the study and lost five during the follow-up period, resulting in total 33 participants in the intervention group and 14 in the control group. Observations were not complete for all participants, thereby resulting in sample sizes of 32, 43 and 25 in the different work scenarios. For the scenario of loading the luggage at the luggage wagon the adjusted difference between intervention and control group for the weighted cumulative musculoskeletal load of the back was -1,455 weighted degree-seconds (°s) (95%-CI -2,517 – -393), 2,227 °s (1,644 – 2,810) for the load of the knees and 813 °s (-523 – 2,150) for the load of the shoulders. After Bonferroni correction for nine tested hypotheses, only the results for the knees were statistically significant. There were no significant differences in the other two scenarios.Conclusions: The intervention induced behavioural changes in some working scenarios. Physical load decreases for the back and increases for the knees. Trial registration: DRKS00024583

Zur körperlichen Belastung bei der Arbeit zählen das manuelle Handhaben von Lasten, repetitive manuelle Arbeitsprozesse, das Aufbringen von Ganzkörperkräften, die Körperfortbewegung und die Körperzwangshaltung. Für die Gefährdungsbeurteilung stehen seit Kurzem neue Leitmerkmalmethoden (LMM) zur Verfügung. Sie wurden umfangreich evaluiert und werden als Screening-Verfahren für die praxisnahe Beurteilung zur Anwendung empfohlen.

IntroductionThe assessment of work tasks with physical workloads is crucial to estimate the work-related health risks of employees. Three key indicator methods (KIMs) are available for risk assessment regarding manual lifting, holding and carrying of loads, manual pulling and pushing, and manual handling operations. Three further KIMs regarding whole-body forces, awkward body postures and body movement have been developed de novo. The development of a combined method for mixed exposures is planned. All methods will be validated regarding face validity, reliability, convergent validity, criterion validity.MethodsA mixed-methods study was designed for the validation of KIMs. The following working hypotheses (WH) are tested: WH 1: The KIMs reflect adequately the construct to be measured (face validity). WH 2: No relevant deviations occur between different users using KIMs and assessing the same workplaces (reliability). WH 3: Assessing workplaces using the KIMs and other screening methods will result in no relevant differences (convergent validity). WH 4: It is assumed that employees at workplaces with high KIM risk scores show adverse health related outcomes more frequently than non-exposed workers (criterion validity). With this background a field study was conducted in companies of different sizes and branches in Germany as part of the joint project MEGAPHYS (multilevel risk assessment of physical workloads). Ethics and dissemination: The study was planned and conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki, the design was approved by ethics committees. We intend to publish validated KIMs in 2018. Acknowledgements/funding: The (further) development and validation of the KIMs is part of project MEGAPHYS funded by BAuA and the German Social Accident Insurance (DGUV). Further MEGAPHYS partners are Institute for Occupational Safety and Health of DGUV (IFA), Institute of Ergonomics at the Darmstadt University of Technology (IAD) and Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors (IfADo).

ObjectiveAs abasis for age and sex-related orientations of physical capacity, the physical performance requirements for different work tasks between the age ranges and, if necessary, distinctions between sexes are presented for the purpose of occupational health and safety and the human-oriented work design. This is structured in three consecutive parts: Part1: Introduction and methodology followed by data on the physique and load capacity of the skeletal system, Part2: Data on physical strength and Part3: Cardiopulmonary and energetic performance data and conclusions from all three parts.Material and methodsFor the representation of age and sex-related (maximum) cardiopulmonary fitness, 7literature sources were used. No current data on the German population could be found representing the expected changes in performance because of changing working and life style conditions. For occupational exposure, more important current data representing the differences in submaximal performance are not available.Results and conclusionFrom the age of 30years, maximum aerobic performance is steadily reduced in both sexes and in all performance areas. At the age of 50years, it reaches about 70% in men and in women about 80% of the values in adolescence. The maximum aerobic capacity of women is between 55% and 72% of men's capacity. Taking into account the fact that sex differences are most pronounced, especially in the younger age groups, about 60% of maximum aerobic performance of women compared to men can be expected.

Anthropometric data and data about hand force could be a very important assistance for the ergonomic design of products, such as hand tools, machines etc. The aim of this study is to collect data about hand force and dimensions of the hand-arm-system of a representative sample of the population in Germany. The maximal isometric force and hand dimensions were determined among 1,214 participants (432 females, 782 males). The cases taken into account in force measurements include pulling strength, gripping strength and torque strength.

ObjectivesAs abasis for age and sex-related orientation of physical capacity, the physical performance requirements for different work tasks between the age ranges and, if necessary, distinctions between sexes are presented for the purpose of occupational health and safety and the human-oriented work design. This is structured in three consecutive parts: Part1: Introduction and methodology followed by data on the physique and load capacity of the skeletal system, Part2: Data on physical strength, and Part3: Cardiopulmonary and energetic performance data and conclusions.Material and methodsAvailable data on the age and sex dependency of the physical capacity, static body measurements, load capacity of the skeletal system, physical strength and cardiopulmonary performance are presented. A total of 31sources were selected with data on these areas of capacity from representative groups of healthy persons. The present publication is mainly based on the age-related mean values in order to highlight the age-related and sex-related trends. In the first part, the results based on three papers on anthropometrics and three papers including findings about the load capacity of the skeletal system are presented.Results and conclusionThe anthropometric requirements of older people are somewhat less favorable than for younger people. These differences, however, are small compared to inter-individual variability. The load capacity of the healthy skeletal system decreases steadily with increasing age as long as data for the lumbar spine can be transferred to other structures including the joints.

Als Grundlage für alters- und geschlechtsbezogene Orientierungswerte der körperlichen Belastbarkeit werden für den Arbeitsschutz und die menschengerechte Arbeitsgestaltung die körperlichen Leistungsvoraussetzungen für verschiedene Arbeitsanforderungen zwischen den Altersbereichen und notwendige Unterscheidungen zwischen den Geschlechtern dargestellt. Dies gliedert sich in drei aufeinanderfolgende Teile: Teil 1: Einführung und Methodik sowie Daten zum Körperbau und zur Belastbarkeit des Skelett-Systems, Teil 2: Daten zu Körperkräften und Teil 3: Daten zur kardiopulmonalen und energetischen Leistungsfähigkeit sowie Schlussfolgerungen.

BACKGROUND:Upper extremity musculoskeletal symptoms and disorders are common in the working population. The economic and social impact of such disorders is considerable. Long-time, dynamic repetitive exposure of the hand-arm system during manual handling operations (MHO) alone or in combination with static and postural effort are recognised as causes of musculoskeletal symptoms and disorders. The assessment of these manual work tasks is crucial to estimate health risks of exposed employees. For these work tasks, a new method for the assessment of the working conditions was developed by the Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (BAuA) and released as a draft in the year 2007. The draft of the so-called Key Indicator Method for Manual Handling Operations (KIM-MHO) was developed in analogy with the existing KIM for Lifting/Holding/Carrying (KIM-LHC) and Pulling/Pushing (KIM-PP) of loads. The KIM-MHO is designed to fill the gap existing in risk assessment of manual work processes, since the existing KIMs deal only with manual handling of loads.This research project focused on the following: - Examination of the validity of workplace assessment with the KIM-MHO comparing expert ratings with the results of the observations. - Examination of the objectivity of workplace assessment with the KIM-MHO applied by different examiners. - Examination of the criterion validity of the risk assessment provided by KIM-MHO with respect to the association between exposure and the occurrence and prevalence of health related outcomes.METHODS/DESIGN:To determine the objectivity and validity of workplace assessment, the KIM-MHO is applied by occupational health and safety officers at different workplaces involving manual handling operations.To determine the criterion validity of risk assessment, a survey of employees at different workplaces takes place with standardised questionnaires and interviews about symptoms in the neck and upper extremities. In addition, physical examinations of these employees following a standardised medical diagnostic procedure are also carried out.DISCUSSION:This research project will provide scientific evaluation of the new KIM-MHO and, if necessary, indicate areas for modification to improve this new method for assessment of the health risk of manual handling operations at diverse workplaces.

IntroductionThe impact of work-related musculoskeletal disorders is considerable. The assessment of work tasks with physical workloads is crucial to estimate the work-related health risks of exposed employees. Three key indicator methods are available for risk assessment regarding manual lifting, holding and carrying of loads; manual pulling and pushing of loads; and manual handling operations. Three further KIMs for risk assessment regarding whole-body forces, awkward body postures and body movement have been developed de novo. In addition, the development of a newly drafted combined method for mixed exposures is planned. All methods will be validated regarding face validity, reliability, convergent validity, criterion validity and further aspects of utility under practical conditions.Methods and analysisAs part of the joint project MEGAPHYS (multilevel risk assessment of physical workloads), a mixed-methods study is being designed for the validation of KIMs and conducted in companies of different sizes and branches in Germany. Workplaces are documented and analysed by observations, applying KIMs, interviews and assessment of environmental conditions. Furthermore, a survey among the employees at the respective workplaces takes place with standardised questionnaires, interviews and physical examinations. It is intended to include 1200 employees at 120 different workplaces. For analysis of the quality criteria, recommendations of the COSMIN checklist (COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments) will be taken into account.Ethics and disseminationThe study was planned and conducted in accordance with the German Medical Professional Code and the Declaration of Helsinki as well as the German Federal Data Protection Act. The design of the study was approved by ethics committees. We intend to publish the validated KIMs in 2018. Results will be published in peer-reviewed journals, presented at international meetings and disseminated to actual users for practical application.

BACKGROUND: For the ergonomic design of products and workplaces, knowledge about e.g. the physical strength or hand preference of the target population is helpful. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to gather data about isometric hand force and hand preference of a large sample of the population in Germany. METHODS: The isometric maximum force was determined in one-handed pulling (with support for the other hand), gripping and handling a screwdriver (supination) for both hands. Other factors such as age, gender, hand preference and occupation were documented in a standardized questionnaire. RESULTS: 1,207 (428 female, 779 male) subjects between 5 and 91 years participated in this study. On average, females reach 2/3 of the strength level of males. The results do not show any significant influence of age on the maximum isometric force in the age groups between 20 and 59 years, but high intra age group differences occur. CONCLUSIONS: On average, for all subjects the preferred hand is stronger. The difference between the dominant and the subdominant hand ranges between 1% and 11% on average depending on the type of force exertion, hand preference and gender. Nevertheless, a very large variation of the side differences and strength levels within the types of handedness exists.

BACKGROUND: Standardized test fingers are used for testing products against mechanical and electrical hazards. The dimensions of the most common test finger, mentioned in several standards, have remained unchanged for many decades. In the meantime, the corresponding anthropometric dimensions of the human being as well as the safety standard and safety awareness have changed. OBJECTIVE: Starting from the dimensions of the most common test finger for adult persons, length and diameter of the test finger were analysed, whether they are still in accordance with the anthropometric considerations and whether they represent a sufficient safety-level. METHODS: Current distributions of relevant body dimensions from literature and own measurements were considered and compared with the dimensions of the common test finger. RESULTS: The analysis of anthropometric data reflects that in the past decades people are on average getting larger and wider. This refers to the German and European population, but also to large other parts of the world’s population. CONCLUSIONS: The current diameter of the common test finger still offers a high level of protection. However, the changes of the last decades, both in what concerns the anthropometric measurements as well as the safety standard and safety awareness, seems to require an adaptation of the length of the test finger to ensure the same level of safety protection as the chosen diameter.