Classification of the main forms of human activity

Lecture 2 Fundamentals of labor physiology

The subjects heard the old sentences better, as they implicitly resembled them, although they were not aware of this.

Precedence effect

Parry Jacobi

Listen to a series of sentences - no explicit playback

Evaluation of loud noises

Against the background of noise, new - old proposals

When new - the noise seemed louder

"How to Become Famous Overnight with No Effort"

Diego Maradona

Sebastian Weisdorf

Richard Gere

John Kennedy

Marilyn Monroe

Roger Bannister

Day 2 Who are these people?

Marilyn Monroe - Actress

Richard Gere - actor

Indira Gandhi - politician

Francis Coppola - film director

Sebastian Weisdorf - footballer/politician/director/scientist

Dmitry Nikolaevich Uznadze (1886/87 - 1950)

Unconscious attitude - the readiness of the subject to perform a certain action or to react in a certain direction, which is the result of his past experience.

Character and organization labor activity have a significant impact on the change in the functional state of the human body. The various forms of labor activity are divided into physical and mental labor.

Physical work It is characterized by a load on the musculoskeletal system and functional systems of the human body (cardiovascular, neuromuscular, respiratory, etc.), which ensure its activity. Physical labor, while developing the muscular system and stimulating metabolic processes, at the same time has a number of negative consequences. First of all, it is the social inefficiency of physical labor associated with its low productivity, the need for high physical exertion and the need for long - up to 50% of working time - rest.

Brainwork combines work related to the reception and processing of information that requires a predominantly * sensory apparatus, attention, memory, as well as the activation of thought processes, emotional sphere. This type of labor is characterized by hypokinesia, i.e. a significant decrease in human motor activity, leading to a deterioration in the reactivity of the body and an increase in emotional stress. Hypokinesia is one of the conditions for the formation of cardiovascular pathology in mental workers. Prolonged mental stress has a depressing effect on mental activity: the functions of attention (volume, concentration, switching), memory deteriorate

(short-term and long-term), perception (a large number of errors appear).

In modern human labor activity, the volume of purely physical labor is insignificant. In accordance with the existing physiological classification of labor activity, there are:

forms of labor that require significant muscle activity. This type of labor activity takes place in the absence of mechanized means for performing work and is characterized by increased energy costs;

mechanized forms of labor. A feature of mechanized forms of labor is the change in the nature of muscle loads and the complication of the action program. Under the conditions of mechanized production, there is a decrease in the volume of muscle activity, small muscles of the limbs are involved in the work, which should provide greater speed and accuracy of movements necessary to control the mechanisms. The monotony of simple and mostly local actions, the monotony and the small amount of information perceived in the process of labor lead to the monotony of labor and the rapid onset of fatigue;

forms of labor associated with semi-automatic and automatic production. With such production, a person is excluded from the process of direct processing of the object of labor, which is entirely performed by the mechanism. The task of a person is limited to performing simple operations for servicing the machine: submit material for processing, set the mechanism in motion, remove the machined part. Character traits this type of work: monotony, increased pace and rhythm of work, loss of creativity;

Group forms of labor - assembly line. This form of labor is determined by the division of the labor process into operations, a given rhythm, a strict sequence of operations, automatic supply of parts to each workplace using a conveyor. At the same time, the shorter the time interval spent by the worker on the operation, the more monotonous the work, the more simplified its content, which leads to premature fatigue and rapid nervous exhaustion;

Forms of work associated with remote control. With these forms of labor, a person is included in the management system as a necessary operational link, the load on which decreases with an increase in the degree of automation of the management process. There are forms of production process control that require frequent human actions, and forms of control in which the operator's actions are episodic, and his main task is to control instrument readings and maintain constant readiness to intervene, if necessary, in the process of managing an object;

Forms of intellectual (mental) labor are divided into operator, managerial, creative, labor medical workers, work of teachers, pupils, students. These types differ in the organization of the labor process, the uniformity of the load, the degree of emotional stress.

The work of the operator is characterized by great responsibility and high neuro-emotional stress. For example, the work of an air traffic controller is characterized by the processing of a large amount of information for a short time and increased neuro-emotional tension.

The work of the head of institutions, enterprises

(managerial work) is determined by an excessive amount of information, an increase in the lack of time for its processing, increased personal responsibility for decisions taken, periodic occurrence of conflict situations.

The work of teachers and medical workers is characterized by constant contacts with people, increased responsibility, often lack of time and information to make the right decision, which causes the degree of neuro-emotional stress.

The work of pupils and students is characterized by the tension of the main mental functions, such as memory, attention, perception; the presence of stressful situations (exams, tests).

The most complex form of labor activity, which requires a significant amount of memory, stress, attention, is creative work. The work of scientists, designers, writers, composers, artists, architects leads to a significant increase in neuro-emotional stress. With such tension associated with mental activity, one can observe tachycardia, an increase in blood pressure, an increase in pulmonary ventilation and oxygen consumption, an increase in body temperature and other changes in the autonomic functions of a person.

Energy, necessary for man for life, is released in his body in the process of redox decomposition of carbohydrates, proteins, fats and other organic compounds contained in food. Redox reactions in living organisms can proceed both with the participation of oxygen and without the participation of oxygen. Anaerobic oxidation is characterized by a smaller amount of released energy and is of limited importance in higher organisms.

Aerobic oxidation of 1 g of fat in the body releases 38.94, while oxidation of 1 g of protein or 1 g of carbohydrates

* 17.6 kJ of energy. This energy is partially spent on useful work and partially dissipated in the form of heat, heating the human body and the environment (the efficiency of muscle tissues is 40 ... 60%).

The totality of chemical reactions in the human body is called metabolism. To characterize the total energy ‘metabolism, the concepts of basal metabolism and metabolism are used in various types of activity.

Basal metabolism is characterized by the amount of energy expenditure in a state of complete muscle rest under standard conditions (at a comfortable temperature environment, after 12 ... 16 hours after eating in the supine position). Energy consumption for life processes under these conditions for a person weighing 75 kg is 87.5 W.

Changes in posture, intensity of muscular activity, information saturation of labor, degree of emotional stress and other factors lead to additional

energy costs. So, in a sitting position due to the work of the body, energy costs exceed 5 ... 10 % the level of general metabolism, in a standing position - by 10 ... 15%, with a forced uncomfortable posture - by 40-50 %.

With intensive intellectual work, the brain's need for energy is 15-20% of the basal metabolism (the brain mass is 2% of the body mass). The increase in total energy costs during mental work is determined by the degree of neuro-emotional tension. So, when reading aloud while sitting, energy consumption increases by 48%, when delivering a public lecture - by 94%, for computer operators - by 60 ... 100%. An increase in metabolism and energy consumption during work leads to an increase in heat generation. With heavy physical work, body temperature can rise by 1 ... 1.5 degrees.

The level of energy consumption can serve as a criterion for the severity of the intensity of the work performed, which is important for optimizing working conditions and its rational organization. The level of energy consumption is determined by the method of indirect colorimetry, i.e. full gas analysis (taking into account the volume of oxygen consumption and emitted carbon dioxide). (With an increase in the severity of work, oxygen consumption and the amount of energy consumed increase significantly.

Option 9.

10. Energy costs for various forms of activity. Classification of working conditions

The level of human energy consumption in various forms of activity serves as a criterion for the severity and intensity of the work performed, is of great importance for optimizing working conditions and its rational organization. The level of energy consumption is determined by the method of full gas analysis, while taking into account the volume of consumption

oxygen and released carbon dioxide. With an increase in the severity of labor, oxygen consumption and the amount of energy consumed increase significantly.

The severity and intensity of labor are characterized by the degree of functional stress of the body. It can be energetic, depending on the power of work (during physical labor), and emotional (during mental labor), when information overload occurs.

Physical labor is characterized by a heavy load on the body, requiring mainly muscle effort and appropriate energy supply, and also affects functional systems (cardiovascular, neuromuscular, respiratory, etc.), stimulates metabolic processes. Its main indicator is severity. Energy consumption during physical labor, depending on the severity of the work, is 4000 - 6000 kcal per day, and with a mechanized form of labor, energy costs are 3000 - 4000 kcal.

With very hard work, oxygen consumption continuously increases, and oxygen debt can occur when non-oxidized metabolic products accumulate in the body. The growth of metabolism and energy consumption leads to an increase in heat generation, body temperature by 1-1.5 ° C. Thus, energy costs are a criterion for the physical severity of labor.

Mental labor combines work related to the reception and transmission of information, requiring activation of the processes of thinking, attention, memory. This type of labor is characterized by a significant decrease in motor activity. The main indicator of mental work is tension, which reflects the load on the central nervous system. Energy consumption during mental work is 2500-3000 kcal per day. But energy costs vary depending on the working posture. So, in a working posture sitting, energy costs exceed the level of basal metabolism by 5–10%; standing by 10-25%, with a forced uncomfortable posture - by 40-50%. With intensive intellectual work, the brain's need for energy is 15-20% of the total metabolism in the body. The increase in total energy costs during mental work is determined by the degree of neuro-emotional tension. Daily energy consumption during mental work increases by 48% when reading aloud while sitting, by 90% - when lecturing, by 90-100% - for computer operators. In addition, the brain is prone to inertia, because after the cessation of work, the thought process continues, which leads to greater fatigue and exhaustion of the central nervous system than during physical labor.

Mental work is associated with nervous tension, which depends on the significance, danger and responsibility of the work. With nervous tension, tachycardia, an increase in blood pressure, an ECG change, and an increase in oxygen consumption occur. For the correct organization of mental activity, it is necessary: ​​to gradually "enter" the work, to observe the rhythm, systematicity.

Muscular work affects the cardiovascular system, increasing blood flow from 3-5 L / min to 20-40 L / min to ensure gas exchange. At the same time, the number of heart contractions increases to 140-180 per minute. and blood pressure up to 180-200 mm Hg.

An increase in the intensity of work is accompanied by an increase in air exchange (from 5-8 l / min to 100 l / min), respiratory rate (from 10-20 to 30-40 per min) and the proportion of oxygen use (from 3-4% to 4-8% ). The latter is due to the effort of C*2 diffusion into the lungs.

Under the influence of muscular work, the morphological composition of the blood, its physicochemical properties change: the number of erythrocytes and hemoglobin content increase, the process of erythrocyte regeneration intensifies, and the number of leukocytes increases. These changes indicate an increase in the function of the hematopoietic organs. Certain changes during physical work occur in endocrine functions (increase in blood levels of adrenaline, etc.), which contributes to the mobilization of energy resources of the body.

Working conditions are a set of factors of the working environment that affect the working capacity and health in the process of work.

Based on hygienic criteria, working conditions are divided into 4 classes 1:

1. Optimal working conditions ensure maximum labor productivity and minimum stress on the human body. Optimal standards have been established for microclimate parameters and labor process factors. For other factors, such working conditions are conditionally used, under which the levels of adverse factors do not exceed those accepted as safe for the population (within the background).

Not only the health of workers is preserved, but also prerequisites are created for maintaining high labor productivity. At the same time, such working conditions are taken as optimal, under which adverse factors do not exceed the levels accepted as safe for the population.

2. Permissible working conditions. With them harmful effects do not exceed the levels established for workplaces, and possible changes in the functional state of the body are restored during rest, and should not have an adverse impact in the near and long term on the health of workers and their offspring. Changes in the functional state of the body are restored during a regulated rest or by the beginning of the next shift.

Classes 1 and 2 correspond to safe working conditions.

3. Harmful working conditions, under which the presence of harmful production factors exceeding hygienic standards has an adverse effect on the body of the worker and his offspring.

4. Dangerous working conditions. Exposure to harmful factors during the shift poses a threat to life, and there is a high risk of severe forms of acute occupational injuries.

In accordance with R.2.2.755-99, three classes of working conditions are distinguished in terms of the severity and intensity of work.

Optimal (easy) work.

Allowable work (moderate).

Harmful (hard) work.

Energy costs also vary depending on the working posture. With a working posture sitting, energy costs exceed the level of basal metabolism by 5-10%; in a standing working position - by 10 ... 25%, in a forced uncomfortable position - by 40 ... 50%. With intensive intellectual work, the brain's need for energy is 15 ... 20% of the total metabolism in the body (the brain mass is 2% of the body mass).

The increase in total energy costs during mental work is determined by the degree of neuro-emotional tension. So, when reading aloud while sitting, energy consumption increases by 48%, when delivering a public lecture - by 94%, for computer operators - by 60 ... 100%.

The level of energy consumption can serve as a criterion for the severity and intensity of the work performed, which is important for optimizing working conditions and its rational organization.

The physical severity of labor is a load on the body during labor, requiring mainly muscle effort and appropriate energy supply. Taking into account the type of load and loaded muscles, physical work is divided into static and dynamic 2.

Static work is associated with the fixation of tools and objects of labor in a stationary state, with the maintenance of the body or its parts in space (fixation of the working posture).

There is no external muscular work, but the tense state of the muscles remains, lasting indefinitely. This leads to severe muscle fatigue, and taking into account their insufficient blood supply, to a disease of the muscular and peripheral nervous system. An example of static work is a sentry at the post.

Dynamic work - the process of muscle contraction, leading to the movement of the load, as well as the human body itself or its parts, in space. Play a role: strength, speed, accuracy, intensity of movement.

At the same time, the energy of the body is spent both on maintaining a certain tension in the muscles and on the mechanical effect of work. Dynamic work is subdivided into general muscular work performed by more than 2/3 of the muscles of the skeletal muscles, including the legs and torso (loaders, agricultural workers); regional muscular work, which is performed by the muscles of the shoulder girdle and upper limbs; local muscle work involving less than 1/3 of the skeletal muscles.

The severity and intensity of labor are characterized by the degree of functional stress of the body. It can be energetic, depending on the power of work - during physical labor, and emotional - during mental labor, when information overload occurs.

The intensity of labor is characterized by the emotional burden on the body during labor, which requires mainly the work of the brain to receive and process information. The easiest is mental work, in which there is no need to make decisions. Such working conditions are considered optimal. If the operator works and makes decisions within the framework of one instruction, then such working conditions are acceptable.

The stressful harmful conditions of the 1st degree include work that is associated with solving problems using known algorithms. Creative activity that requires solving complex problems in the absence of an obvious solution algorithm should be classified as hard work of the 2nd degree.

Working conditions can also be:

• physical;
• household;
• social;
• production.

The physical working conditions include: temperature; pressure; air pollution; humidity; dryness; illumination; noise and vibration; air movement speed.

As a result of the impact on a person of physical working conditions, the following may occur: overwork; hypothermia; overheat; pollution and draft.

Comfortable conditions include: household amenities, livability, comfort. In accordance with current regulations, the following conditions are considered comfortable:

T = 18-20 °C;

Pressure 760 mm Hg. Art.;

The minimum air velocity is 0.1 m/s, relative humidity is 45-50% in summer, 50-55% in winter.

Features of the labor activity of women and adolescents 3

When using women and adolescents in the workplace, it is necessary to take into account the anatomical and physiological characteristics of their body.

In adolescence, there is an accelerated growth of the bones of the skeleton and muscles, especially the limbs, and at the same time, weakness of the ligamentous apparatus, faster muscle fatigue, and deviations in the development of the respiratory and gastrointestinal tract are not uncommon.

For persons aged 16-18 years, a reduced - 36-hour - working week is established. The use of the labor of adolescents in carrying heavy loads is limited, and if the work is connected specifically with the transfer of heavy loads, then the weight of the load should not exceed 4.1 kg.

The anatomical and physiological characteristics of women in some cases, with an unsatisfactory working environment, can contribute to the occurrence of gynecological diseases and affect the reproductive function of women. For working women, they regulate the limits for carrying and moving goods, introduce more favorable work and rest regimes, limit the use of women's labor at night, and establish for them a mode of work with part-time work or part-time work week.

The maximum weight of the load lifted and moved by women, subject to the alternation of this work with other types of work up to 2 times per hour, is 10 kg, and with constant lifting and moving of weights during the work shift - 7 kg.

Description

The level of human energy consumption at various forms activity serves as a criterion for the severity and intensity of the work performed, is of great importance for optimizing working conditions and its rational organization. The level of energy consumption is determined by the method of full gas analysis, while taking into account the volume of consumption
oxygen and released carbon dioxide. With an increase in the severity of labor, oxygen consumption and the amount of energy consumed increase significantly.

The level of human energy consumption in various forms of activity serves as a criterion for the severity and intensity of the work performed, is of great importance for optimizing working conditions and its rational organization. Energy consumption level determined by the method of complete gas analysis, while taking into account the volume of oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide released. With an increase in the severity of labor, oxygen consumption and the amount of energy consumed increase significantly.

The severity and intensity of work characterized by the degree of functional stress of the body. It can be energetic, depending on the power of work (during physical labor), and emotional (during mental labor), when information overload occurs.

Physical work It is characterized by a large load on the body, requiring mainly muscle effort and appropriate energy supply, and also affects the functional systems (cardiovascular, neuromuscular, respiratory, etc.), stimulates metabolic processes. Its main indicator is heaviness. Energy costs during physical labor, depending on the severity of the work, are 4000-6000 kcal per day, and with a mechanized form of labor, energy costs are 3000-4000 kcal.

Brainwork combines work related to the reception and transmission of information, requiring activation of the processes of thinking, attention, memory. This type of labor is characterized by a significant decrease in motor activity. Main indicator mental labor is tension, reflecting the load on the central nervous system. Energy consumption during mental work is 2500-3000 kcal per day. But energy costs vary depending on the working posture. So, in a working posture sitting, energy costs exceed the level of basal metabolism by 5-10%; standing - by 10-25%, with a forced uncomfortable posture - by 40-50%. With intensive intellectual work, the brain's need for energy is 15-20% of the total metabolism in the body.

The increase in total energy costs during mental work is determined by the degree of neuro-emotional tension. Daily energy expenditure during mental work increases by 48% when reading aloud while sitting, by 90% - when lecturing, by 90-100% - among computer operators. In addition, the brain is prone to inertia, because after the cessation of work, the thought process continues, which leads to greater fatigue and exhaustion of the central nervous system than during physical labor.

Energy value of food

All processes taking place in the world require the expenditure of energy in various forms, and the vital processes of the whole organism are no exception. The energy value of foods, or calorie content, is the amount of energy that is released in the human body from food during its digestion. It is defined in kilocalories or kilojoules, which are calculated per 100g.

The level of human energy consumption in various forms of activity serves as a criterion for the severity and intensity of the work performed, is of great importance for optimizing working conditions and its rational organization. Energy consumption level determined by the method of complete gas analysis, while taking into account the volume of oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide released. With an increase in the severity of labor, oxygen consumption and the amount of energy consumed increase significantly.

The severity and intensity of work characterized by the degree of functional stress of the body. It can be energetic, depending on the power of work (during physical labor), and emotional (during mental labor), when information overload occurs.

Physical work It is characterized by a large load on the body, requiring mainly muscle effort and appropriate energy supply, and also affects the functional systems (cardiovascular, neuromuscular, respiratory, etc.), stimulates metabolic processes. Its main indicator is heaviness. Energy consumption during physical labor, depending on the severity of the work, is 4000-6000 kcal per day, and with a mechanized form of labor, energy costs are 3000-4000 kcal.

Brainwork combines work related to the reception and transmission of information, requiring activation of the processes of thinking, attention, memory. This type of labor is characterized by a significant decrease in motor activity. Main indicator mental labor is tension, reflecting the load on the central nervous system. Energy consumption during mental work is 2500–3000 kcal per day. But energy costs vary depending on the working posture. So, in a working posture sitting, energy costs exceed the level of basal metabolism by 5-10%; standing - by 10-25%, with a forced uncomfortable posture - by 40-50%. With intensive intellectual work, the brain's need for energy is 15-20% of the total metabolism in the body.

The increase in total energy costs during mental work is determined by the degree of neuro-emotional tension. Daily energy expenditure during mental work increases by 48% when reading aloud while sitting, by 90% - when lecturing, by 90-100% - among computer operators. In addition, the brain is prone to inertia, because after the cessation of work, the thought process continues, which leads to greater fatigue and exhaustion of the central nervous system than during physical labor.

The severity and intensity of work. Static and dynamic loads. The monotony of work.

The severity of labor is a quantitative characteristic of physical labor.

Labor intensity is a quantitative characteristic of mental labor. It is determined by the amount of information load.

In production (in accordance with the hygienic classification of labor R.2.2.013-94), there are four levels of exposure to factors of working conditions on a person:

1. comfortable conditions labor ensure the optimal dynamics of human performance and the preservation of his health;

2. Relatively uncomfortable working conditions when exposed for a certain period of time provide a given performance and health, but cause subjective sensations and functional changes that do not go beyond the norm;

3. extreme working conditions lead to a decrease in human performance, do not cause functional changes that go beyond the limits of the norm, but do not lead to pathological changes;

4. Super-extreme working conditions lead to pathological changes in the human body and loss of ability to work.

Medical and physiological classification of the severity and intensity of labor is carried out on the basis of a comprehensive quantitative assessment of the factors of working conditions, called the integral value of the severity and intensity of labor.

Category III includes work in which, due to not quite favorable working conditions, people develop reactions characteristic of the borderline state of the body (deterioration of some indicators of the psychophysiological state by the end of work).

Category V includes work in which, as a result of exposure to very unfavorable working conditions, people at the end of the working period develop reactions characteristic of the pathological functional state of the body.

Dynamic load - a load characterized by a rapid change in time of its value, direction or point of application and causing significant inertial forces in structural elements. Dynamic loads are experienced by parts of impact machines, such as presses, hammers, etc. Parts of crank mechanisms also experience significant dynamic loads during operation from changes in the magnitude and direction of speeds, that is, the presence of accelerations. Impact loads are also referred to as dynamic loads. When designing parts of a structure that are under the action of shock or vibration load from mills, engines, hammers, etc., a calculation is made for the effect of dynamic load. To eliminate dynamic loads, they are reduced or limited, for example, using an electric drive, braking devices and other mechanisms.

Static load - load, the magnitude, direction and point of application of which change slightly over time. In strength calculations, the influence of inertial forces caused by such a load can be neglected. A static load, for example, is the weight of a structure.

Monotony is the same repetition of work operations. The danger of monotony lies in the reduction of attention to the production process, rapid fatigue and a decrease in interest in the labor process, which affects labor safety in general. One of the forms predisposing to the formation of monotony is automatism - an activity carried out without the direct participation of consciousness. It is formed as a result of several factors: many years of experience, routine work, lack of involvement in the labor process, imagination and creativity, physical overload. This is of particular importance in complex industries or industries with harmful working conditions, where accuracy and attention are of decisive importance. Monotony is accompanied by boredom, apathy to work. But it cannot be precisely determined that the performance of these particular actions is a monotonous and boring task. Each person determines for himself the type of his activity and gives it his own objective assessment. For example, one employee working on an assembly line considers his work monotonous and boring, while another, on the contrary, considers it very interesting. Many people engaged in dynamic, active work, which cannot be called monotonous, consider it boring, uninteresting.

In such cases, much depends on motivation.

Therefore, strict adherence to labor safety, control over the labor process and the alternation of periods of work and rest (physical minutes and others) is of decisive importance.

The basic varieties of labor activity are divided into physical and mental labor. Physical work. Physical labor requires great muscular activity and takes place in the absence of mechanized means for work (the labor of a steelworker, loader, vegetable grower, etc.). It develops the muscular system, stimulates metabolic processes in the body, but at the same time it is socially inefficient, has low productivity, and requires a long rest. The mechanized form of labor requires special knowledge and motor skills, small muscles of the arms and legs are included in the work, which ensure the speed and accuracy of movement, but the monotony of simple actions, a small amount of perceived information leads to the monotony of labor. The work associated with automatic and semi-automatic production has the following disadvantages: monotony, increased pace and rhythm of work, lack of creativity, since the mechanism is engaged in the processing of objects, and the person performs simple machine maintenance operations. Conveyor work is distinguished by the fragmentation of the process into operations, a given pace and rhythm, and a strict sequence of operations. Its disadvantage is monotony, leading to premature fatigue and rapid nervous exhaustion.

Mental labor / Intellectual activity. Mental work (intellectual activity) is based on the perception and processing of large amounts of information and is divided into:

1) operator - implies control over the operation of machines; is distinguished by high responsibility and neuro-emotional stress;

2) managerial - characterized by a large increase in the volume of information with a lack of time for its processing, great personal responsibility for decisions made, stressful and conflict situations;

3) creative work - requires a large amount of memory, tension, attention; it leads to an increase in neuro-emotional stress, tachycardia, increased blood pressure, ECG changes and other shifts in autonomic functions;

4) the work of teachers and medical workers is constant contact with people, increased responsibility, frequent lack of time and information to make the right decision, which leads to high neuro-emotional stress;

5) the work of pupils and students - implies the concentration of memory, attention; there are stressful situations (at exams, tests).

The level of human energy consumption in various forms of activity serves as a criterion for the severity and intensity of the work performed, is of great importance for optimizing working conditions and its rational organization. The level of energy consumption is determined by the method of complete gas analysis, while taking into account the volume of oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide released. With an increase in the severity of labor, oxygen consumption and the amount of energy consumed increase significantly. The severity and intensity of labor are characterized by the degree of functional stress of the body. It can be energetic, depending on the power of work (during physical labor), and emotional (during mental labor), when information overload occurs. Physical labor is characterized by a heavy load on the body, requiring mainly muscle effort and appropriate energy supply, and also affects functional systems (cardiovascular, neuromuscular, respiratory, etc.), stimulates metabolic processes. Its main indicator is severity. Energy consumption during physical labor, depending on the severity of the work, is 4000-6000 kcal per day, and with a mechanized form of labor, energy costs are 3000-4000 kcal. Mental labor combines work related to the reception and transmission of information, requiring activation of the processes of thinking, attention, memory. This type of labor is characterized by a significant decrease in motor activity. The main indicator of mental labor is tension, which reflects the load on the central nervous system. Energy consumption during mental work is 2500–3000 kcal per day. But energy costs vary depending on the working posture. So, in a working posture sitting, energy costs exceed the level of basal metabolism by 5-10%; standing - by 10-25%, with a forced uncomfortable posture - by 40-50%. With intensive intellectual work