An assessment of workload in the Thai steel industry

In this study three different types of industrial activities in a steel plant have been studied in Thailand. Workload has been described and assessed by means of an ergonomics approach, encompassing task, organisation and environment as well as the physiological reactions and the subjective appreciation of the exposed workforce. The results are evaluated by means of the ISO Standard on Heat Stress (WBGT-Index) and by the cardiovascular load. Strain results reveal important basic physiological differences between Thai workers and Western data. The use of the ISO-Standard for the studied activities in Thailand is questioned and a proposal for adaptation of the WBGT-Index is formulated. Before implementing the proposals the results should be confirmed by a larger sample of workers and for other less demanding work.