Comparison of heart rate responses of women workers during cutting of fuel wood with improved and local sickle

Abstract

Fuel collection is one of the most labour and time-consuming operations for rural women of developing countries. Darati is most widely used tool for cutting of fuel wood. It is generally stated that an improve Darati can reduce the drudgery during cutting of fuel wood therefore, the present study was undertaken to compare the heart rate responses of the women workers during cutting of fuel wood for which 30 physically fit women were selected from Tarai region of Uttaranchal. Physical fitness of selected samples were measured by use of wooden stool ergo meter and was found that 86.66 % of women were fell in high average of PF index. Mode of carrying the wood log was found on head and average weight carried by the respondents was fopund to be 33.45 kg. Average working heart rate was found to 140.34 with average peak heart rate of 159.96 beats/min. Average energy expenditure with traditional sickle was 13.55 Kj/min, which reduces to 12.86 Kj/min wit improved sickle. Similarly average heart rate reduces to 13.78 beats/min with improved sickle. Total time taken to perform the activity was also reduced to 152.50 min from 164.50 min/day.