J. For. Sci., 2024, 70(10):501-511 | DOI: 10.17221/49/2024-JFS

Characteristics of the workplace of harvester operators in PolandOriginal Paper

Dominika Gaj-Gielarowiec1, Karol Gielarowiec2, Grzegorz Szewczyk ORCID...3, Paweł Tylek ORCID...3
1 State Forests, Daleszyce Forest District, Daleszyce, Poland
2 State Forests, Radoszyce Forest District, Radoszyce, Poland
3 Department of Forest Utilization and Forest Techniques, Faculty of Forestry, University of Agriculture in Krakow, Krakow, Poland

The objective of the presented research was to create an average image of a harvester operator in Poland and to identify factors influencing the degree of mental workload. We used a survey of environmental assessments of workload. The creation of an electronic survey and the support of a company that indirectly employs operators (State Forests) made it possible to reach a large group of surveyed people. The respondents indicated the occurrence of ailments typical of sedentary work at the researched workstation. These included mainly monotony, back pain and numbness in the upper limbs. Stress at work was felt by the majority of respondents; hence the analyses of mental stress, which also translates into other diseases, should indicate key responses to questions regarding comprehensive ergonomic assessments at the researched workstation.

Keywords: ergonomics; harvesting; mental workload; survey research

Received: July 12, 2024; Revised: August 10, 2024; Accepted: August 21, 2024; Prepublished online: October 2, 2024; Published: October 30, 2024  Show citation

ACS AIP APA ASA Harvard Chicago Chicago Notes IEEE ISO690 MLA NLM Turabian Vancouver
Gaj-Gielarowiec D, Gielarowiec K, Szewczyk G, Tylek P. Characteristics of the workplace of harvester operators in Poland. J. For. Sci. 2024;70(10):501-511. doi: 10.17221/49/2024-JFS.
Share...
Download citation
  • BibTeX (.bib)
  • Bookends (.ris)
  • EasyBib (.ris)
  • EndNote (.enw)
  • EndNote 8 (.xml)
  • ISI WoS (.isi)
  • Medlars (.medlars)
  • Mendeley (.ris)
  • MODS (.xml)
  • Papers (.ris)
  • RefWorks (.txt)
  • RefManager (.ris)
  • RIS (.ris)
  • MS Word (.xml)
  • Zotero (.ris)
    • Open full article

    References

    1. Berger C. (2003): Mental stress on harvester operators. In: Proceedings of the Austro 2003 Meeting: High-Tech Forest Operations for Mountainous Terrain, Schlaegl, Oct 5-8, 2003: 1-10.
    2. Bodył M. (2022): Rozmiar pozyskania maszynowego w Polsce. Drwal, 4: 24-28. (in Polish)
    3. Chojnicki J. (2013): Bezpieczne pozyskanie drewna. Warszawa, Państwowa Inspekcja Pracy: 35. (in Polish)
    4. Cooper G.E., Harper R.P. (1969): The Use of Pilot Rating in the Evaluation of Aircraft Handling Qualities. Washington, D.C., National Aeronautics and Space Administration: 52.
    5. Dvořák J., Bystrický R., Hošková P., Hrib M., Jarkovská M., Kováč J., Krilek J., Natov P., Natov L. (2011): The Use of Harvester Technology in Production Forests. Kostelec nad Černými lesy, Folia Forestalia Bohemica: 156.
    6. Gallis C. (2006): Work-related prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms among Greek forest workers. International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics, 8: 731-736. Go to original source...
    7. Grzywiński W. (2010): Ergonomia i ochrona pracy w leśnictwie: Przewodnik do ćwiczeń. 2nd Ed. Poznań, Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Przyrodniczego w Poznaniu: 128. (in Polish)
    8. Grzywiński W., Hołota R. (2006): Subjective assessment of the fatigue of forest workers based on Japanese questionnaire. Acta Scientiarium Polonorum, 1: 27-37.
    9. Grzywiński W., Tomczak A., Jelonek T., Wandycz A. (2008): Assessment of multifunction machines operators' workload during mechanized timber harvesting. In: Messingerová V., Stanovský M. (eds): Integrated Logging Technology. Zvolen, Technical University in Zvolen, Faculty of Forestry, Department of Forest Harvesting and Mechanization: 55-61.
    10. Grzywiński W., Turowski R., Naskrent B., Jelonek T., Tomczak A. (2019): The effect of season of the year on the frequency and degree of damage during commercial thinning in black alder stands in Poland. Forests, 10: 1-11. Go to original source...
    11. Hakkila P. (1989): Logging in Finland. Acta Forestalia Fennica, 207: 1-39. Go to original source...
    12. Hart S.G., Staveland L.E. (1988): Development of NASA-TLX (Task Load Index): Results of empirical and theoretical research. In: Hancock P.A., Meshkati N. (eds): Human Mental Workload. Amsterdam, North Holland Pres: 139-183. Go to original source...
    13. Heinimann H.R. (2007): Forest operations engineering and management - The ways behind and ahead of a scientific discipline. Croatian Journal of Forest Engineering, 1: 107-121.
    14. Kaden J.R. (2008): Badania marketingowe. Warszawa, Polskie Wydawnictwo Ekonomiczne: 228. (in Polish)
    15. Kapral J. (2004): Nowe techniki i technologie przyjazne środowisku. Biblioteczka leśniczego, Zeszyt 208. Warszawa, Wydawnictwo Świat: 14. (in Polish)
    16. Lilley R., Feyer A.M., Kirk P., Gander P. (2002): A survey of forest workers in New Zealand: Do hours of work, rest, and recovery play a role in accidents and injury? Journal of Safety Research, 1: 53-71. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    17. Mederski P.S., Karaszewski Z., Rosińska M., Bembenek M. (2016): Dynamika zmian liczby harwesterów w Polsce oraz czynniki determinujące ich występowanie. Sylwan, 10: 795-804. (in Polish)
    18. Moskalik T. (2009): Perspektywy rozwoju zastosowania maszyn wielooperacyjnych w pozyskiwaniu i zrywce drewna. Warszawa, Wydawnictwo Świat: 284. (in Polish)
    19. Naskrent B., Grzywiński W., Polowy K., Tomczak A., Jelonek T. (2022): Eye-tracking in assessment of the mental workload of harvester operators. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19: 5241. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    20. Nowacka W.Ł. (2009): Wieloaspektowa analiza ergonomiczna operatorów specjalistycznych maszyn stosowanych w pozyskiwaniu drewna. Rozprawy Naukowe i Monografie. Warszawa, Szkoła Główna Gospodarstwa Wiejskiego w Warszawie: 247. (in Polish)
    21. Nowacka W.Ł., Moskalik T. (2012): Las jest miejscem pracy - Nowy zawód, nowe możliwości. Studia i Materiały CEPL w Rogowie, 32: 215-221. (in Polish)
    22. Nowacka W.Ł., Moskalik T. (2013): Negatywne skutki pracy w leśnictwie ze szczególnym uwzględnieniem pozyskiwania drewna. Forestry Letters, 105: 85-93. (in Polish)
    23. Nowacka W.L., Staniszewski P., Gasek A. (2017): Mechanizacja w leśnictwie - Dobra czy zła? Punkt widzenia społeczności lokalnych. Studia i Materiały Centrum Edukacji Przyrodniczo-Leśnej, 19: 115-121. (in Polish)
    24. Paluch R. (1985): Ocena zmęczenia na podstawie subiektywnego odczucia - Kwestionariusz japoński. Bezpieczeństwo Pracy, 7-8: 3-6. (in Polish)
    25. Pulkki R.E. (2004): Glossary of Forest Harvesting Terminology. Thunder Bay, Lakehead University. Available at: www.lakeheadu.ca
    26. Reid G.B., Nygren T.E. (1988): The subjective workload assessment technique: A scaling procedure for measuring mental workload. Advances in Psychology, 52: 185-218. Go to original source...
    27. Roscoe A.H. (1987): The Practical Assessment of Pilot Workload. AGARD-AG-282. Neuilly Sur Seine, Advisory Group for Aerospace Research and Development: 42-52.
    28. Roscoe A.H., Ellis G.A. (1990): A Subjective Rating Scale for Assessing Pilot Workload in Flight: A Decade of Practical Use. Farnborough, Royal Aerospace Establishment Farnborough: 3-13.
    29. Rubio S., Díaz E., Martín J., Puente J.M. (2004): Evaluation of subjective mental workload: A comparison of SWAT, NASA-TLX, and workload profile methods. Applied Psychology, 53: 61-86. Go to original source...
    30. Schick F.V., Hahn R.L. (1987): The use of subjective workload assessment technique in a complex flight task. In: Roscoe A.H. (ed.): The Practical Assessment of Pilot Workload, AGARD-AG-282. Neuilly Sur Seine, Advisory Group for Aerospace Research and Development: 37-41.
    31. Skonieczna J., Grzywiński W. (2016): Stres zawodowy na stanowiskach pracy w leśnictwie. In: Konferencja Katedr Jednoimiennych: Znaczenie użytkowania lasu w gospodarce leśnej XXI wieku, Puszczykowo, May 31 - June 1, 2016: 34-35. (in Polish)
    32. Sowa J.M. (2014): Factors determining quality of timber harvesting in Poland. Forestry Letters, 106: 45-53.
    33. Sowa J.M., Kulak D., Leszczynski K., Szewczyk G. (2007): Związki struktury dnia roboczego z fizjologiczną gotowością do pracy na stanowisku operatora pilarki spalinowej. Prace Komisji Nauk Rolniczych i Komisji Nauk Leśnych. Poznańskie Towarzystwo Przyjaciół Nauk, 101: 205-215. (in Polish)
    34. Spinelli R., Magagnotti N., Labelle E.R. (2020): The effect of new silvicultural trends on mental workload of harvester operators. Croatian Journal of Forest Engineering: Journal for Theory and Application of Forestry Engineering, 41: 1-13. Go to original source...
    35. Sullman M., Gellerstedt S. (1997): The mental workloads of mechanized harvesting. New Zealand Forestry, 42: 48.
    36. Szewczyk G., Sowa J.M., Kulak D., Stańczykiewicz A. (2012): Multifactor analysis of time consumption in manipulation and cutting stacked wood into length. Acta Scientiarum Polonorum Silvarum Colendarum Ratio et Industria Lignaria, 11: 53-62.
    37. Szewczyk G., Spinelli R., Magagnotti N., Tylek P., Sowa J.M., Rudy P., Gaj-Gielarowiec D. (2020): The mental workload of harvester operators working in steep terrain conditions. Silva Fennica, 54: 1-18. Go to original source...
    38. Szewczyk G., Spinelli R., Magagnotti N., Mitka B., Tylek P., Kulak D., Adamski K. (2021): Perception of the harvester operator's working environment in windthrow stands. Forests, 12: 1-16. Go to original source...
    39. Witaszek Z. (2007): Miejsce i rola sondaży w badaniu opinii społecznej. Zeszyty Naukowe Akademii Marynarki Wojennej, 4: 141-162. (in Polish)

    This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY NC 4.0), which permits non-comercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original publication is properly cited. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.


    Return to the content