Title
Temperature limit values for gripping cold surfaces
Author
Malchaire, J.
Geng, Q.
Den Hartog, E.
Havenith, G.
Holmer, I.
Piette, A.
Powell, S.L.
Rintamäki, H.
Rissanen, S.
TNO Technische Menskunde
Publication year
2002
Abstract
Objectives. At the request of the European Commission and in the framework of the European Machinery Directive, research was conducted jointly in five different laboratories to develop specifications for surface temperature limit values for the gripping and handling of cold items. Methods. Four hundred and fourteen experiments were run where male and female subjects were invited to grip for up to 20 min cold bars of different contact coefficients, i.e. polished wood, nylon, stone, steel and aluminium. The air temperature and the bars' initial surface temperatures ranged between 0 and -30°C for the various experiments. While gripping the bars, either only the hand or the whole body was exposed to cold. Results. The data were used to develop a prediction formula and a graph of the surface temperature limit values in order for the skin contact temperature not to reach <15°C. This duration is shown to offer a significant degree of safety with respect to the minimal surface temperature spontaneously tolerated by the subjects. Conclusions. Experiments and modelling must be pursued to extend these data to other conditions of exposure.
Subject
Ergonomics
Cold stress
Contact temperature
Gripping
Machine safety
Accident prevention
Mathematical models
Skin
Surface phenomena
Surface temperatures
Health care
aluminum
nylon
steel
cold acclimatization
cold exposure
cold stress
cold tolerance
controlled study
density
environmental temperature
grip strength
materials handling
prediction
skin blood flow
skin temperature
surface property
thermal conductivity
wood
analysis of variance
cold
occupational exposure
physiology
regression analysis
standard
temperature
Analysis of Variance
Cold
Female
Hand
Occupational Exposure
Regression Analysis
Skin Temperature
Temperature
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http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:c4375197-4dd8-4ad1-90b0-cec56d9152a7
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1093/annhyg/mef032
TNO identifier
236483
ISSN
0003-4878
Source
Annals of Occupational Hygiene, 46 (2), 157-163
Document type
article