Improving conditions for personnel performing condition-based maintenance on infrastructure by measuring/monitoring their winter performance ability

Projekt:

JVTC

Sammanfattning:
An available, reliable and well-maintained infrastructure is the foundation for competition and market growth. Infrastructure is often synonymous with technical assets operating in outdoor conditions, e.g. railway and road infrastructure. The harsh winter of 2009-2010 caused several railway assets to fail, resulting in cancelled and delayed trains. The costs were estimated to 3 billion SEK, according to the Swedish Transport Administration. Half of the delays could have been avoided by improvements in the railway infrastructure maintenance process, such as winter adjustments of assets, better information and communication, and preparedness and emergency plans. Moreover, little attention was paid to how the maintenance personnel are affected by a harsh working environment. It is well known that a cold climate reduces the functional capacity not only of technical systems, but also of humans, although there are no clear limitations for humans performing work in a harsh climate. Low temperature affects human performance by reducing the blood circulation, by burdening the heart, and by affecting other body parts like the skin, hands and feet. The impaired functional capacity and powers of concentration increase the risk of accidents and injuries. Human error due to reduced functional capacity caused by a cold climate may be one root cause of those failures which occur after maintenance has been conducted.
A new method has been developed, called the "Performance-in-Cold Method by Linné", which makes it possible to measure and monitor each individuals own winter performance ability and the effects of cold weather, cold surfaces and vibrating tools. The measurements are made using an infrared camera that detects the surface temperature of the skin. The temperature of the skin can then be translated, according to previous research, into functional ability.
The method has been fully or partially tested on different groups, i.e. maintenance personnel, cadets, biathlon skiers, office workers, physiotherapy students and schoolchildren. The aim has been to identify, analyze and improve the environment for each individual to enable her/him to perform in the best possible way in the cold. The goal is to create a health profile that allows individuals to achieve maximum performance without risk. The results show differences between individuals (men, women, people of different age), the extent of cold-related problems, and development areas for improvement of the working environment and work aids.

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Författare: Anders Linné ; Ulla Juntti
Utgivare: COMADEM International
Utgivningsdatum: 2012
Diarienummer: TRV 2011/58769
ISBN: 0954130723
Antal sidor: 8
Språk: Engelska
Kontaktperson: Per Olof Larsson Kråik, UHjbs