Cargando…

Estimation of Heat Stress and Maximum Acceptable Work Time Based on Physiological and Environmental Response in Hot-Dry Climate: A Case Study in Traditional Bakers

BACKGROUND: Heat stress is common among workers in hot-dry areas. To take preventive strategies for the protection of workers against heat stress, it is important to choose a suitable index that can accurately explain environmental parameters relative to physiological responses. OBJECTIVE: To evalua...

Descripción completa

Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: Afshari, Davood, Moradi, Saeid, Ahmadi Angali, Kambiz, Shirali, Gholam-Abbas
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: Shiraz: NIOC Health Organization 2019
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6820310/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31586384
http://dx.doi.org/10.15171/ijoem.2019.1582
Descripción
Sumario:BACKGROUND: Heat stress is common among workers in hot-dry areas. To take preventive strategies for the protection of workers against heat stress, it is important to choose a suitable index that can accurately explain environmental parameters relative to physiological responses. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate heat stress and maximum acceptable work time (MAWT) based on physiological and environmental response in hot-dry climate among traditional bakers. METHODS: The current study was carried out on 30 traditional bakers of 3 different bread baking systems in Ahvaz, Iran. Environmental and physiological parameters were measured simultaneously for a work shift. The work-rest time was also determined based on the relative heart rate (RHR) and the wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT) index. RESULTS: The average WBGT index was estimated to be higher than the standard limit for all baking stations. Despite the higher-than-the-recommended-limit WBGT index, there was no significant relationship between the WBGT index and physiological parameters. The results indicated a significant (p<0.05) difference between the percentages of work-rest time estimated using the WBGT and RHR index. CONCLUSION: Based on the results of environmental and physiological monitoring of this study as well as the limitations of the use of the WBGT index, it seems that using WBGT as a standard index would not suit heat stress management in hot-dry climates. A revision of this standard to adapt to hot climatic conditions should be in order.