Effect of psychophysiological breaks on the hand temperature of meat processing plant workers

Abstract Objective To evaluate the temperature of the hands and its relation to psychophysiological breaks of different durations in workers at a pig slaughterhouse. Methods This study included 40 male workers divided into two groups based on the external ambient temperature (Group 1: ≥ 15 °C and Group 2: < 15 °C). Psychophysiological breaks were scheduled throughout the work shift with durations of 20/15/15/10 minutes. In order to measure the temperature of the hands, thermal images were captured using a portable infrared camera. Results It was observed that in Group 1 (n = 34), regardless of the duration of the breaks, the temperature of the middle finger’s palm of the hand that handled the products was significantly higher after the breaks compared to before the breaks (p < 0.001). Group 2 (n = 6) exhibited significantly lower finger temperatures after the breaks, as the external ambient temperature was lower than the indoor working environment, and the break areas did not provide thermal comfort. Conclusion Breaks of at least 10 minutes resulted in thermal recovery of the workers’ fingers, and the external ambient temperature directly influenced the thermal recovery of the hands, suggesting that the regulation (NR-36) should be reviewed concerning the characteristics of psychophysiological break areas.