Sensor-data-based assessment of operational capability in transmission-line work at height

Transmission-line work at height requires endurance, strength, balance, and climbing capacity, but routine occupational screening provides little task-specific information. We developed an exploratory multisource assessment procedure for overhead transmission-line workers. Thirty-six active workers participated in a protocol comprising four standardized tests: a 6-minute walk test, a squat-and-lift task, an eyes-closed single-leg stance test, and a simulated climbing task. Heart rate, peripheral oxygen saturation, electromyographic signals, balance duration, task performance, and self-reported fatigue were analyzed using correlation analysis, clustering, and distribution-based grouping. After preprocessing, 35 records were available for the 6-minute walk and simulated climbing analyses, and 26 for the EMG-based squat-and-lift analysis. Age was moderately associated with 6-minute walk performance (Spearman’s rho = -0.500, p = 0.002), but no single anthropometric or physiological measure described performance across all tasks. EMG-derived features separated squat-and-lift signal-pattern profiles, whereas body weight, BMI, and age did not consistently account for task performance. Balance and simulated climbing tests added further task-specific information. Together, the results indicate that task-specific physiological and performance measures can describe different aspects of work-at-height capability. The resulting profiles should be regarded as exploratory until they are tested in larger samples and against field outcomes.