Peruvian Miners leaving the mine entrance ( Photo MINEM) Work on the High Altitude a Major Consumption Demand Oxygen
In the Andean countries a large percentage of the population live and work at altitudes above 3000 meters. In Peru, almost all mining companies, transport, agriculture and many other industries involving the efforts of many workers who are exposed to high altitudes are required physically and mentally. Moreover, the state is encouraging the establishment of new businesses by lowering taxes on those that are formed above 3000 meters above sea level (asl).
All these activities require the worker to consume more oxygen. As you gain altitude above sea level, total pressure air (barometric pressure) and oxygen content of ambient air and gradually decrease their work performance.
These are principles already accepted that affect the workplace. It has been proven for example, that the time needed to tunnel in Colorado, 3300 m, was 25% higher than it was to do a work equivalent to sea level and the effects of altitude contributed to the delay ( J. Reeves et al in Encyclopedia of Occupational Safety and Health at Work).
not only greater muscle fatigue, but also mental function deteriorates. Memory, processing power, accuracy and capacity in decision making and the ability of trial was also altered. Scientists working on the Mona Loa Observatory on the island of Hawaii, at an altitude above 4000 m found they needed more time to do the calculations and made more mistakes than they were at sea level.
A decisive factor in the professional performance at high altitude is the maintenance of oxygen delivery to tissues. Humans have compensatory mechanisms against states of low oxygen (hypoxia). The most important is the increase in respiratory rate, which starts when the oxygen pressure decreases in arterial blood (hypoxemia) and which is all altitudes above sea level increases gradually with increasing altitude and is our most effective defense mechanism against low oxygen levels in the environment.
The process by increasing breathing at high altitudes is called ventilatory acclimatization review in another article.
A non-acclimated is unlikely to survive at altitudes above 6000 m, whereas acclimated or adapted climbers can reach the summit of Everest (8848 m) without any oxygen supply.
All these activities require the worker to consume more oxygen. As you gain altitude above sea level, total pressure air (barometric pressure) and oxygen content of ambient air and gradually decrease their work performance.
These are principles already accepted that affect the workplace. It has been proven for example, that the time needed to tunnel in Colorado, 3300 m, was 25% higher than it was to do a work equivalent to sea level and the effects of altitude contributed to the delay ( J. Reeves et al in Encyclopedia of Occupational Safety and Health at Work).
not only greater muscle fatigue, but also mental function deteriorates. Memory, processing power, accuracy and capacity in decision making and the ability of trial was also altered. Scientists working on the Mona Loa Observatory on the island of Hawaii, at an altitude above 4000 m found they needed more time to do the calculations and made more mistakes than they were at sea level.
A decisive factor in the professional performance at high altitude is the maintenance of oxygen delivery to tissues. Humans have compensatory mechanisms against states of low oxygen (hypoxia). The most important is the increase in respiratory rate, which starts when the oxygen pressure decreases in arterial blood (hypoxemia) and which is all altitudes above sea level increases gradually with increasing altitude and is our most effective defense mechanism against low oxygen levels in the environment.
The process by increasing breathing at high altitudes is called ventilatory acclimatization review in another article.
A non-acclimated is unlikely to survive at altitudes above 6000 m, whereas acclimated or adapted climbers can reach the summit of Everest (8848 m) without any oxygen supply.
La Rinconada, 5400 m, 11 000 inhabitants, a mining town in San Antonio Putina, Puno, Peru (Marco Gamarra "El Comercio" GamaPerú)
Thus in healthy workers who go to work at height have four groups: 1 .-
natives living at high altitude and are adapted perform their work in the normal altitude.
2 .- The natives living at sea level and are already adapted to the height also perform their work normally.
3 .- The sea-level natives who will work to match in whom ventilatory acclimatization is the adaptive mechanism for compensation.
4 .- The native sea level or height with intermittent exposure to high for work. In this increasingly common condition (working at height and range of days of rest home at sea level), ventilatory acclimatization is intermittent and faster.
The time necessary for ventilatory acclimatization, and the magnitude of this varies from person to person at a given altitude and also depends on the extent of one's acclimatization achieved. One of the most important reasons is the great variation among individuals in their response to hypoxia.
natives living at high altitude and are adapted perform their work in the normal altitude.
2 .- The natives living at sea level and are already adapted to the height also perform their work normally.
3 .- The sea-level natives who will work to match in whom ventilatory acclimatization is the adaptive mechanism for compensation.
4 .- The native sea level or height with intermittent exposure to high for work. In this increasingly common condition (working at height and range of days of rest home at sea level), ventilatory acclimatization is intermittent and faster.
The time necessary for ventilatory acclimatization, and the magnitude of this varies from person to person at a given altitude and also depends on the extent of one's acclimatization achieved. One of the most important reasons is the great variation among individuals in their response to hypoxia.
Dr. Achilles Monroy
