Occupational heat stress: Multi-country observations and interventions
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Occupational heat stress: Multi-country observations and interventions. / Ioannou, Leonidas G; Mantzios, Konstantinos; Tsoutsoubi, Lydia; Nintou, Eleni; Vliora, Maria; Gkiata, Paraskevi; Dallas, Constantinos N; Gkikas, Giorgos; Agaliotis, Gerasimos; Sfakianakis, Kostas; Kapnia, Areti K; Testa, Davide J; Amorim, Tânia; Dinas, Petros C; Sotto Mayor, Tiago; Gao, Chuansi; Nybo, Lars; Flouris, Andreas D.
In: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, Vol. 18, No. 12, 6303, 2021.Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Occupational heat stress: Multi-country observations and interventions
AU - Ioannou, Leonidas G
AU - Mantzios, Konstantinos
AU - Tsoutsoubi, Lydia
AU - Nintou, Eleni
AU - Vliora, Maria
AU - Gkiata, Paraskevi
AU - Dallas, Constantinos N
AU - Gkikas, Giorgos
AU - Agaliotis, Gerasimos
AU - Sfakianakis, Kostas
AU - Kapnia, Areti K
AU - Testa, Davide J
AU - Amorim, Tânia
AU - Dinas, Petros C
AU - Sotto Mayor, Tiago
AU - Gao, Chuansi
AU - Nybo, Lars
AU - Flouris, Andreas D
N1 - CURIS 2021 NEXS 216
PY - 2021
Y1 - 2021
N2 - Background: Occupational heat exposure can provoke health problems that increase the risk of certain diseases and affect workers’ ability to maintain healthy and productive lives. This study investigates the effects of occupational heat stress on workers’ physiological strain and labor productivity, as well as examining multiple interventions to mitigate the problem. Methods: We monitored 518 full work-shifts obtained from 238 experienced and acclimatized individuals who work in key industrial sectors located in Cyprus, Greece, Qatar, and Spain. Continuous core body temperature, mean skin temperature, heart rate, and labor productivity were collected from the beginning to the end of all work-shifts. Results: In workplaces where self-pacing is not feasible or very limited, we found that occupational heat stress is associated with the heat strain experienced by workers. Strategies focusing on hydration, work-rest cycles, and ventilated clothing were able to mitigate the physiological heat strain experienced by workers. Increasing mechanization enhanced labor productivity without increasing workers’ physiological strain. Conclusions: Empowering laborers to self-pace is the basis of heat mitigation, while tailored strategies focusing on hydration, work-rest cycles, ventilated garments, and mechanization can further reduce the physiological heat strain experienced by workers under certain conditions.
AB - Background: Occupational heat exposure can provoke health problems that increase the risk of certain diseases and affect workers’ ability to maintain healthy and productive lives. This study investigates the effects of occupational heat stress on workers’ physiological strain and labor productivity, as well as examining multiple interventions to mitigate the problem. Methods: We monitored 518 full work-shifts obtained from 238 experienced and acclimatized individuals who work in key industrial sectors located in Cyprus, Greece, Qatar, and Spain. Continuous core body temperature, mean skin temperature, heart rate, and labor productivity were collected from the beginning to the end of all work-shifts. Results: In workplaces where self-pacing is not feasible or very limited, we found that occupational heat stress is associated with the heat strain experienced by workers. Strategies focusing on hydration, work-rest cycles, and ventilated clothing were able to mitigate the physiological heat strain experienced by workers. Increasing mechanization enhanced labor productivity without increasing workers’ physiological strain. Conclusions: Empowering laborers to self-pace is the basis of heat mitigation, while tailored strategies focusing on hydration, work-rest cycles, ventilated garments, and mechanization can further reduce the physiological heat strain experienced by workers under certain conditions.
KW - Faculty of Science
KW - Heat stress
KW - Work
KW - Mitigation
KW - Labor productivity
KW - Physiological strain
KW - Hydration
KW - Breaks
KW - Ventilated garments
KW - Mechanization
KW - Ice slurry
U2 - 10.3390/ijerph18126303
DO - 10.3390/ijerph18126303
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 34200783
VL - 18
JO - International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
JF - International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
SN - 1661-7827
IS - 12
M1 - 6303
ER -
ID: 272500941