Hematological parameters in a population of male bakers exposed to high heat work environment

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to determine the hematological changes associated with heat exposure in a population of bakers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Personal information was collected using a questionnaire, and a venous blood sample was drawn at the end of a work shift from the bakers and from a control group. The average wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT) index was measured in the workplaces of both the bakers and the controls. RESULTS: This cross-sectional study involved 137 bakers working in 20 bakeries and 107 controls who were comparable in terms of likely confounding factors. Hemoglobin and platelet values were abnormal among the bakers and statistically significantly different to the control group (P = 0.026, and P = 0.016 respectively). The average WBGT index in the bakeries was 37.4°C, while the average WBGT in the workplaces of the controls was 25.5°C, (P<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: The changes in the bakers’ hematological parameters were found to be associated with exposure to high environmental heat at bakeries, as measured by the WBGT index. Preventive measures should be introduced to reduce the adverse effect of heat exposure among bakers and directed toward the worker–equipment–environment triad.