Coal in India is extracted generally by semi-mechanized and mechanized underground mining methods. The Bord and Pillar (B & P) mining method still continues to be popular where deployment of manual miners is more than that of other mining methods. The study is conducted at haulage based mine of Eastern Coalfields of West Bengal. Underground miners confront with a lot of hazards like extreme hostile environment, awkward working posture, dust, noise as well as low luminosity. It is difficult to delay the onset of fatigue. In order to study the physiological responses of trammers, various parameters like working heart rates, net cardiac cost and relative cardiac cost including recovery heart rate patterns are recorded during their work at site. Workload classification of trammers has been done following various scales of heaviness. The effect of environment on the physiological responses has been observed and suitable recommendations are made. The work tasks are bound to induce musculoskeletal problems and those problems could be better managed through rationalizing the work-rest scheduling.

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This study investigated laterality of manual pushing during a gait cycle by measuring pushing force, muscular activation and foot pressure. Subjects were 17 healthy young adult males; (11 right-handed [RH], and 6 left-handed [LH]). They pushed a force plate while walking on a treadmill at 1.5, 3, and 4 km/h. Electromyogram (EMG) data were collected bilaterally from the tibialis anterior, soleus, lumbar erector spinae and triceps brachii. To measure foot pressure, ten pressure sensors were attached bilaterally on five points of the sole. Symmetry assessment was performed by comparing bilateral data and cross-correlation function (CCF). Gait cycle duration was found to be symmetrical in all conditions. LH subjects demonstrated asymmetry in calcaneus contact duration to control ankle flexion, whereas RH were symmetrical. Velocity affected tibialis anterior muscle time lag and soleus muscle CCF coefficients, mainly in LH. We found that triceps brachii muscle CCF coefficients in LH subjects were affected by increasing velocity. Results indicated that LH and RH did not mirror each other, since both had distinct characteristics. Furthermore these asymmetries were not strictly associated with the preferred side, indicating that generalisation of preferred side to whole-body coordination should be avoided, since we could not separate one side from the other.

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Individuals’ expertise in human factors and ergonomics in Malaysia was studied with a view to aiding in gauging the confusion and conjectures of the expertise in this area. The choices and preferences of individuals in dealing with the current issues of human factors and ergonomics were examined. The authors suggest the ways to meet ethical challenges in their work and professions.

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