nach oben

International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health

Erschienen in:

01.02.2016 | Original Article

Practical on-site measurement of heat strain with the use of a perceptual strain index

verfasst von: Albert P. C. Chan, Y. Yang

Erschienen in: International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health | Ausgabe 2/2016

Einloggen, um Zugang zu erhalten

Abstract

Objectives

There have been increased interests in research on quantifying heat strain of construction workers and formulating corresponding guidelines for working in hot weather. The aim of this study was to validate a subjective measurement tool, the perceptual strain index (PeSI), for measuring heat strain in real-work settings.

Methods

A total of sixteen construction workers were invited to participate in the field surveys. Empiric-based human monitoring was carried out with simultaneous micrometeorological (wet-bulb globe temperature, WBGT), physiological (heart rate, HR), and perceptual (perceived exertion, RPE; thermal sensation, TS) measurements throughout the test. The relative heart rate (RHR), the physiological strain index (PSI_HR), and the PeSI were then calculated accordingly.

Results

The PeSI exhibited moderate correlations with WBGT and RHR (r = 0.42 and 0.40, respectively), which indicated the PeSI was sensitive to the variants of WBGT and RHR. The results of regression analysis indicated that the PeSI changed in the same general manner as the PSI_HR, with a relatively large determination coefficient (R ² = 0.67). The established perceptual strain zone illustrated that the PeSI ranging from 7 to 8 would be the exposure limit of construction workers in hot weather.

Conclusion

The PeSI is a simple, robust, reliable, and user-friendly tool for heat strain assessment in occupational settings. The perceptual strain zone will provide practical guidelines for on-site heat strain monitoring for construction workers.

Adeodu AO, Daniyan IA, Dada OM (2014) An assessment of physical strain experienced by manual workers in brick laying operation: a case study in Nigeria. J Comp Biosci Eng 1(1):1–6

Borg GAV (1998) Borg’s perceived exertion and pain scales. Human Kinetics, Champaign

BS 7963 (2000) British standard: ergonomics of the thermal environment—guide to the assessment of heat strain in workers wearing personal protective equipment. British Standards Institution, London

Budd GM (2008) Wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT)—its history and its limitations. J Sci Med Sport 11(1):20–32CrossRef

Chan AP, Yam MC, Chung JW, Yi W (2012a) Developing a heat stress model for construction workers. J Facil Manag 10(1):59–74CrossRef

Chan AP, Yi W, Wong DP, Yam MC, Chan DW (2012b) Determining an optimal recovery time for construction rebar workers after working to exhaustion in a hot and humid environment. Build Environ 58:163–171CrossRef

Cheung SS (2007) Neuropsychological determinants of exercise tolerance in the heat. Prog Brain Res 162:45–60CrossRef

de Freitas CR, Scott D, McBoyle G (2008) A second generation climate index for tourism (CIT): specification and verification. Int J Biometeorol 52(5):399–407CrossRef

Epstein Y, Moran DS (2006) Thermal comfort and the heat stress indices. Ind Health 44(3):388–398CrossRef

Gagge AP, Stolwijk JA, Hardy JD (1967) Comfort and thermal sensations and associated physiological responses at various ambient temperatures. Environ Res 1:1–20CrossRef

Gallagher M Jr, Robertson RJ, Goss FL, Nagle-Stilley EF, Schafer MA, Suyama J, Hostler D (2012) Development of a perceptual hyperthermia index to evaluate heat strain during treadmill exercise. Eur J Appl Physiol 112(6):2025–2034CrossRef

Hartmann B, Fleischer AG (2005) Physical load exposure at construction sites. Scand J Work Environ Health 31(2):88–95

Hostler D, Gallagher M, Goss FL, Seitz JR, Reis SE, Robertson RJ, Northington WE, Suyama J (2009) The effect of hyperhydration on physiological and perceived strain during treadmill exercise in personal protective equipment. Eur J Appl Physiol 105(4):607–613CrossRef

Inaba R, Mirbod SM (2007) Comparison of subjective symptoms and hot prevention measures in summer between traffic control workers and construction workers in Japan. Ind Health 45(1):91–99CrossRef

Kántor N, Égerházi L, Unger J (2012) Subjective estimation of thermal environment in recreational urban spaces—part 1: investigations in Szeged, Hungary. Int J Biometeorol 56(6):1075–1088CrossRef

Kjellstrom T, Crowe J (2011) Climate change, workplace heat exposure, and occupational health and productivity in central America. Int J Occup Environ Health 17(3):270–281CrossRef

Knes I, Thorsson S (2006) Influences of culture and environmental attitude on thermal, emotional and perceptual evaluations of a public square. Int J Biometeorol 50:258–268CrossRef

Maiti R (2008) Workload assessment in building construction related activities in India. Appl Ergon 39(6):754–765CrossRef

Miller VS, Bates GP (2007) The Thermal Work Limit is a simple reliable heat index for the protection of workers in thermally stressful environments. Ann Occup Hyg 51(6):553–561CrossRef

Miller V, Bates G, Schneider JD, Thomsen J (2011) Self-pacing as a protective mechanism against the effects of heat stress. Ann Occup Hyg 55(5):548–555CrossRef

Moran DS, Pandolf KB, Heled MY, Gonzalez R (2001) Integration between the environmental stress index (ESI) and the physiological strain index (PSI) as a guideline for training. Defense Technical Information Center Compilation Part Notice ADP012440

Moran DS, Pandolf KB, Shapiro Y, Laor A, Heled Y, Gonzalez RR (2003) Evaluation of the environmental stress index for physiological variables. J Therm Biol 28(1):43–49CrossRef

Nielsen B, Nybo L (2003) Cerebral changes during exercise in the heat. Sports Med 33:1–11CrossRef

Nikolopoulou M, Steemers K (2003) Thermal comfort and psychological adaptation as a guide for designing urban spaces. Energ Buildings 70:227–235

NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) (1986) Criteria for a recommended standard: occupational exposure to hot environment. DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No 86-113, 101-10. Washington DC

Pearlmutter D, Jiao D, Garb Y (2014) The relationship between bioclimatic thermal stress and subjective thermal sensation in pedestrian spaces. Int J Biometeorol 58(10):2111–2127CrossRef

Petruzzello SJ, Gapin JI, Snook E, Smith DL (2009) Perceptual and physiological heat strain: examination in firefighters in laboratory-and field-based studies. Ergonomics 52(6):747–754CrossRef

Rodahl K (1989) The physiology of work. Taylor & Francis, London

Rowlinson S, Jia YA (2014) Application of the predicted heat strain model in development of localized, threshold-based heat stress management guidelines for the construction industry. Ann Occup Hyg 58(3):326–339CrossRef

Rowlinson S, YunyanJia A, Li B, ChuanjingJu C (2014) Management of climatic heat stress risk in construction: a review of practices, methodologies, and future research. Accid Anal Prev 66:187–198CrossRef

Shimaoka M, Hiruta S, Ono Y, Nonaka H, Hjelm EW, Hagberg M (1997) A comparative study of physical work load in Japanese and Swedish nursery school teachers. Euro J Appl Physiol Occup Physiol 77(1–2):10–18CrossRef

Snook E, Petruzzello SJ, Smith DL (2004) Perceptual and physiological heat strain: examination in firefighters performing simulated firefighting activities in the heat. Med Sci Sports Exerc 36(5):S219–S220CrossRef

Tikuisis P, Mclellan TM, Selkirk G (2002) Perceptual versus physiological heat strain during exercise-heat stress. Med Sci Sports Exerc 34(9):1454–1461CrossRef

Wong DPL, Chung JWY, Chan APC, Wong FKW, Yi W (2014) Comparing the physiological and perceptual responses of construction workers (bar benders and bar fixers) in a hot environment. Appl Ergon 45(6):1705–1711CrossRef

Wright HE, Larose J, McLellan TM, Miller S, Boulay P, Kenny GP (2013) Do older firefighters show long-term adaptations to work in the heat? J Occup Environ Hyg 10(12):705–715CrossRef

Yang Y, Chan APC (2015) Perceptual strain index for heat strain assessment in an experimental study: an application to construction workers. J Therm Biol 48:21–27CrossRef

Yi W, Chan AP (2014) Which environmental indicator is better able to predict the effects of heat stress on construction workers? J Manage Eng. doi:10.1061/(ASCE)ME.1943-5479.0000284,04014063

Zhao J, Zhu N, Lu S (2009) Productivity model in hot and humid environment based on heat tolerance time analysis. Build Environ 44(11):2202–2207CrossRef

Titel: Practical on-site measurement of heat strain with the use of a perceptual strain index
verfasst von: Albert P. C. Chan
Y. Yang
Publikationsdatum: 01.02.2016
Verlag: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Erschienen in: International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health / Ausgabe 2/2016
Print ISSN: 0340-0131
Elektronische ISSN: 1432-1246
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-015-1073-7

Springer Medizin

Abstract

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Bitte loggen Sie sich ein, um Zugang zu diesem Inhalt zu erhalten

Weitere Artikel der Ausgabe 2/2016

Fire fit: assessing comprehensive fitness and injury risk in the fire service

Age at occupational exposure to combustion products and lung cancer risk among men in Stockholm, Sweden

Stress among nurses working in emergency, anesthesiology and intensive care units depends on qualification: a Job Demand-Control survey

The effects of acoustical refurbishment of classrooms on teachers’ perceived noise exposure and noise-related health symptoms

Whole-body vibration and occupational physical performance: a review

The healthy worker effect: Do health problems predict participation rates in, and the results of, a follow-up survey?