In May 2008 I started working on my PhD-project “Work time and working environment in Swedish beef cattle production”. The aim of the project is to investigate the labour input and the physical working conditions related to the production and to find possibilities for increased work efficiency and reduced physical strain and hazard risks.

The work time analysis focuses on labour input during pre-defined work tasks that are most common during a rearing period and factors that influence labour efficiency. The physical working conditions are analysed using approved methods for self-assessment of physical strain and musculoskeletal problems. Data is collected through field studies on larger, more specialized farms and through questionnaires covering a broader scale of the production.