Applicability of Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) in occupational heat stress assessment: a case study in Brick industries (original) (raw)
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Urban Climate, 2019
Several indices were introduced for assessment of heat stress worldwide many of which developed in the North American or European countries and may encounter some restrictions when utilized in countries with different climates such as developing countries. Moreover, only a few of them can demonstrate the actual thermal condition, comprehensively. Accordingly, the main purpose of this study was to develop an Outdoor Environmental Heat Index (OEHI), which not only to be able to cover the important personal and environmental parameters affecting to heat stress and well correspond to created heat strain, but also can be used generally wherever of the Iran country and other countries with similar climates. The final presented index, OEHI, was modeled based on air temperature and air enthalpy. These parameters are part of the common metrological data reported daily by each weather station, so the index can be easily reported daily for public awareness of heat situation.
Validating the Heat Stress Indices for Using In Heavy Work Activities in Hot and Dry Climates
Journal of Research in Health Sciences, 2016
Background: Necessity of evaluating heat stress in the workplace, require validation of indices and selection optimal index. The present study aimed to assess the precision and validity of some heat stress indices and select the optimum index for using in heavy work activities in hot and dry climates. Methods: It carried out on 184 workers from 40 brick kilns workshops in the city of Qom, central Iran (as representative hot and dry climates). After reviewing the working process and evaluation the activity of workers and the type of work, environmental and physiological parameters according to standards recommended by International Organization for Standardization (ISO) including ISO 7243 and ISO 9886 were measured and indices were calculated. Results: Workers engaged in indoor kiln experienced the highest values of natural wet temperature, dry temperature, globe temperature and relative humidity among studied sections (P<0.05). Indoor workplaces had the higher levels of all envir...
Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences, 2013
Objective: Heat stress is a hazard common in the industries. Several indices are used to evaluate heat stress. But most of the indices need expensive instruments especially in developing countries. The purpose of this research was to determine validation of an observational-perceptual method as heat strain Score Index (HSSI) in warm conditions. Methodology: This research was performed on 145 healthy subjects. Oral temperature and heart rate were measured by a heart rate monitoring (POLAR RS100 model) and oral thermometer (TB100 model) at rest and field. Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) were also recorded and HSSI questionnaire was completed simultaneously. Data was analyzed by Pearson correlation test and regression analysis. Results: Pearson correlation test showed a significant correlation between the HSSI values and PSI values (r = 0.397, p < 0.001). Pearson correlation Between WBGT values and Physiological Strain Index (PSI) values observed a significant association (r = 0.57, p < 0.001) A moderate correlation between the HSSI values and oral temperature was also observed(r = 0.556). Conclusion: This research showed that heat strain Score Index, in comparison with WBGT index, had a higher correlation with PSI. According to HSSI moderate correlate with others valid indices is economical and also easier to use. Hence, HSSI can be used as the heat strain screening tool in the warm workplace when other heat stress evaluation methods are not available.
Industrial health, 2017
The purpose of this article is to examine the applicability of Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) index as an innovative index for evaluating of occupational heat stress in outdoor environments. 175 workers of 12 open-pit mines in Tehran, Iran were selected for this research study. First, the environmental variables such as air temperature, wet-bulb temperature, globe temperature, relative humidity and air flow rate were measured; then UTCI, wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT) and heat stress index (HSI) indices were calculated. Simultaneously, physiological parameters including heart rate, oral temperature, tympanic temperature and skin temperature of workers were measured. UTCI and WBGT are positively significantly correlated with all environmental parameters (p<0.03), except for air velocity (r<-0.39; p>0.05). Moreover, a strong significant relationship was found between UTCI and WBGT (r=0.95; p<0.001). The significant positive correlations exist between physiologic...
ACSEL 2019 Proceedings, 2019
Heat has been a threat to human beings, especially in a developed and crowded area. Urbanization is one of the key of how the heat becomes something that is important to be discussed. As many population living in the same location, the assessment of urban climate is much needed as many heat wave have occurred in urban area and caused a catastrophe. The heat that is exposed to a human can cause Heat-Related Illnesses such as a heat rash, heat cramp, heat exhaustion, sunburn, and the severe one is a heat stroke. Considering the side effects of heat, many experts proposed Heat Indices as an assessment of human thermal comfort. Heat Stress Indices have been developed based on environmental, physiological, and behavioral parameters. The calculation of each heat stress index is going to be different depends on the variable. Some are considering all of the variables while the other considering few variables. National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) of the United States proposed the Heat Index system that is currently being used by some countries and is currently being used in a mobile application developed by NIOSH and OSHA. The Heat Index of NOAA is a heat scale based on temperature and relative humidity. Measuring methods of the variables are one of the main key of assessing heat. An outdoor daytime air temperature of each location has its character due to Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect and local climate zone. Based on that concerns this paper reviewed the variables, methods, and practices that are currently being conducted and or had been conducted to get the precise and suitable variables to be calculated on Heat Index.
A new environmental heat stress index for indoor hot and humid environments based on Cox regression
Fuel and Energy Abstracts
Physical work in hot and humid environments imposes health risks, productivity falling and safety problems on workers. Protection of workers from heat related problems requires quantitative heat stress assessment of the workplace. In this paper, a new index-equivalent temperature (ET) is proposed to measure the environmental heat stress in indoor hot and humid environments. A climate chamber was built to simulate the indoor hot and humid environment. And the safe working time of 144 male volunteers were studied under different climatic conditions in the chamber. Cox regression method is adopted to obtain the impacts of variables on the safe working time. Then the new index-ET is proposed based on the Cox regression results. The correlations between the ET and the common used indexes are determined to test the validity of this new index. Finally the safe working time concerned with the ET is summarized. The results show that the new index gives physiological correlates and physical means. The ET developed in this paper has the potential to be a practical index to measure the environmental heat stress in indoor hot and humid environments.
Thermophysiological vulnerability to Heat stress among Indoor workers
Introduction: The present study provides a practical importance to assess the magnitude of thermal stress of workers in indoor environment taking into account the workers physiological responses. Method: The study covered indoor workers iron (N=587years) and ceramics (N=426) in three seasons. Thermal measurements were recorded by Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) Monitor. The physiological responses include skin temperature, heart rate and blood pressure. Results: The WBGT index in summer month of ceramic (34.9±2.7°C) was higher than iron foundry works (32±1.7°C). The systolic blood pressures in winter month were higher, as compared to summer months (2mmHg in iron and 11mmHg in ceramic). About 32% of iron and ceramic workers had working heart rate greater than 100 beats/min and 3% beyond 130 beats/min during the working day. The skin temperature (Tsk) profile and weighted skin temperature (Tsk) were significantly higher in summer, followed by post-monsoon and winter months. Discussion: The study assesses the physiological and thermoregulatory responses of workers to heat stress and strain for their exposure to extreme hot environment. The limit of peripheral thermoregulatory adjustability may be considered beneficial and can be taken away from the fury of high heat.
Industrial Health, 2019
The study aimed to assess the heat stress of the construction workers in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), using Wet Bulb Globe temperature (WBGT) index, whereas also computing Heat stress index (HSI), and Thermal Work Limit (TWL) for comparison. Portable Area Heat Stress Monitor (HS-32) was used for measuring WBGToutdoor, Dry Bulb Temperature, Natural Wet Bulb Temperature, Globe Temperature in°C, and Relative humidity. The outcomes demonstrated that the WBGT exceeded the recommended Threshold Limit Value (TLV) and that workers are at risk of heat stress. According to HSI, only fit acclimatized young workers can tolerate work in this site, and workers should be selected by medical examination. As per TWL, the site was labeled as Acclimatization Zone implying that no un-acclimatized worker should work here and working alone should be avoided. The construction workers lie at a high or medium risk of heat stress. The contribution of the radiant heat load was very high compared with metabolic load and convective load. Furthermore, WBGT, HSI, and TWL are suitable to assess thermal stress in construction environments. Scheduling of the work earlier or later (after sunset) along with breaks for rest on cool shaded areas are recommended.
Review of Occupational Heat Stress over the Past 50 Years in Iran
International journal of occupational hygiene, 2016
Thermal stress is a well-recognized health hazard in the workplace. In addition to the health deficits, working in the heat can affect significantly on the productivity of some industries located in rough environments. The current indices used to evaluate the environment are either flawed or difficult to implement. The focus of this review is upon heat stress indices used in Iran to evaluate occupational thermal stress. In this systematic review, the research team searched both bibliographic, citation databases for related heat stress articles in Iran over the past 50 yr. Different search engines were used, and the search strategy was the same in the all searched databases. Twenty papers reviewed through bibliographic database and 30 papers reviewed through citation database. Then the total identified was 50 papers and thesis. Fifteen duplicate papers were removed and finally, 35 were included. In particular, there is a review about the wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT) index, and a...
Landscape and Urban Planning, 2014
The purpose of this article is to examine the applicability of Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) index as an innovative index for evaluating of occupational heat stress in outdoor environments. 175 workers of 12 open-pit mines in Tehran, Iran were selected for this research study. First, the environmental variables such as air temperature, wet-bulb temperature, globe temperature, relative humidity and air flow rate were measured; then UTCI, wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT) and heat stress index (HSI) indices were calculated. Simultaneously, physiological parameters including heart rate, oral temperature, tympanic temperature and skin temperature of workers were measured. UTCI and WBGT are positively significantly correlated with all environmental parameters (p < 0.03), except for air velocity (r < −0.39; p > 0.05). Moreover, a strong significant relationship was found between UTCI and WBGT (r = 0.95; p < 0.001). The significant positive correlations exist between physiological parameters including oral temperature, tympanic and skin temperatures and heart rate and both the UTCI and WBGT indices (p < 0.029). The highest correlation coefficient has been found between the UTCI and physiological parameters. Due to the low humidity and air velocity (~< 1 m/s) in understudied mines, UTCI index appears to be appropriate to assess the occupational heat stress in these outdoor workplaces.