A Study on Fatigue Conditions and Fatigue Control Method in a Certain Shipbuilding Company by Means of Filterpaper BPB Staining Method

By means of the filterpaper BPB staining (filterpaper spot test), a method devised by Ogata, one of the authors, we studied the conditions of fatigue as well as fatigue control method on 1,039 workers in a certain shipbuilding company, and obtained the following results. 1. The amounts of protein excreted in the urine proved to be in the order of electric technicians, forgers, blacksmiths, coppersmiths and those handling oxygen compressors, demonstrating that the heavier the work the greater is the amount of protein excreted in the urine. 2. After checking the urinary protein contents by this method, we established a method of fatigue control in which we gave a rest for those who showed the urinary protein content of over 0.25%, and obtained fairly satisfactory results. This method serves as a screening test for nephritic patients without apparent objective symptoms. 3. In comparing the amounts of urinary protein before the work with that after the work, generally the urinary protein tended to increase after the work. This seems to be due to the fact that the work in the shipbuilding factory is in general a heavy muscle labor. 4. This method is quite excellent in determining the fatigue due to commutation, and it has been clarified that in the same locality the urinary protein contents are found in the order of those who commute on foot, those by bicycle and those by motorcycle, descending in that order. And in the case of those who commute on foot the longer the distance covered, the greater is the urinary protein content.