Assessment of Physical Workload of Choker Setter in Tree-length Extraction Operation by Cable Yarder

Cable yarding operations on steep terrain have always been a challenge with respect to safety as they are mostly undertaken by manual laborers, particularly in South Korea.Steep slopes are associated with a high workload for choker setters.Therefore, the main goals of this study were to determine the heart rate and oxygen consumption of choker setters and evaluate their workload during clear-cut operations on a Larix kaempferi stand using a Polar M400, H7 heart rate sensor.Three choker setters were continuously evaluated during one working day.Overall, the mean working heart rate (HR w ) during choking operations ranged from 87 to 104 bpm at a maximum oxygen consumption rate of 0.9 to 1.4 L/min.The choker setters recorded most of the effective work time on the "wait" (68.5%) and "walk-in" (7.8%) work elements.In addition, the physiological workload differed among the various elements of the cable yarding operation, with a higher HR w associated with a higher workload.Our findings may provide useful information for managing the health and safety of forestry crews during cable extraction activities.