Evaluation of work systems in the textile industry in relation to the development of pathological changes in the genital organs of seamstresses

: The investigations which have proceeded for some years in clothing plants of the Western Pomeranian region with the aim of finding out pathological changes involving female machine operators' genital organs, have revealed a number of unfavourable phenomena, mainly, psychoneurotic changes in the initial phase and pelvic congestion syndrome (pcs), as described by Taylor, in a later phase. The paper is aimed at evaluation of one factor possibly affecting workers' health, i.e. work systems. The data collected from the plant managers, female chargehands and machine operators themselves, as well as from our own observations and investigations, revealed that the test groups of women were performing a piece-job, direct-line and belt-system production. For eight hours a day they performed strictly defined labour requiring great precision in course of repeated tasks in predetermined time limits. A more relaxed system, so called "direct line-synchro nests", arranged temporarily on experimental basis, appeared less efficient and was finally given up for economical reasons. Altogether, 575 machine operators have been examined. The control group consisted of 100 women working in the so called work-gang system offering a greater freedom of movements (cleaners, cutters, store- keepers). The obtained results are presented in two tables. The rate of pcs was found to be statistically significantly higher in machine operators, as compared to controls.