本研究結合雙向紅外線定位技術、化學感測器技術、電子控制技術以及網際網路技術，成功開發出一套先進勞工工作活動模式即時監測系統(The Enhanced Workplace Assessment System，簡稱TEWAS)。此監測系統可即時監測多位勞工工作時之活動位置、停留時間與暴露濃度，並自動連續記錄這些資料於系統中之電腦資料庫內。這些資料的建立將有助於了解長期性職業暴露所引起之健康效應，並可做為改善勞工工作環境的重要參考。 TEWAS系統在基本性能測試的結果顯示，在靜態的狀態下，紅外線接收正確率達到100%，且每秒可進行判讀勞工位置4.7次；勞工所需佩帶的硬體重量約為450克，耗電量為7.26mA，在3顆3號鎳氫電池所構成之電池組的供電下，可連續工作80.67小時，遠超過一般暴露評估調查所需至少8小時的要求。在時間-活動模式記錄性能的測試結果顯示，TEWAS系統對於時間-活動模式的記錄相當精準，其與人工觀察標準方法間之相關性(r2)高達0.98~0.99，屬高度正相關，且偵測的解析度達到以”秒”為單位。顯示TEWAS系統應可取代人工觀察方式，以節省更多的人力。 The Enhanced Workplace Assessment System (called TEWAS) has been developed for time-activity pattern survey among workers. TEWAS consists with three subsystems: the personal infrared emitter subsystem, the stationary infrared receiver subsystem and the data acquisition analyzing subsystem. TEWAS can precisely detect the positions of thirty-two different workers, determine the durations within the exposed area, and measure the exposed concentration in that area. Measurements can be continuously recorded into an internet database. The worker’s carring device (called TEWAS_Wr) weighted about 450 g and it can be continuously operated for 80.67 hours with three Ni-H batteries. The reproducibility tests indicated that TEWAS had 100% accuracy in determining the worker’s positions at the speed of 4.7 times per second under static conditions. The laboratory tests showed that using TEWAS system to measure worker’s time-activity pattern were highly correlated with that obtained by human observations (r2=0.98~0.99). T-test showed that there is no significant difference between human observations and TEWAS system. So TEWAS is a powerful tool for researchers who are interested in understanding exposure pattern in working places.
