Environmental Heat Stress and Physiological Heat Strain in Construction Workers During Work in the Summer

Details

• Personal Author:
  Amorim F ; Schlader Z
• Description:
  Purpose: To measure environmental heat stress and strain among construction workers in two different locations during summer work. Methods: This report presents the key findings from a study conducted on construction workers in two locations during the summer: Kansas City, Missouri, and Pecos, New Mexico. In Location 1 (Kansas City), 32 commercial construction workers were monitored over 3 days, while in Location 2 (Pecos), 7 male road construction workers were observed for 1 day. Environmental heat stress was assessed through heat index (HI), while heat strain was evaluated by core temperature (Tcore) and skin temperature (Ts) measurements. Urine specific gravity (USG) was used to assess hydration status pre- and post-shift, and changes in body weight were recorded. Results: In Location 1, peak HI ranged from 27.3 to 35.2 degrees C (81.1 to 95.4 degrees F) with workers in uncovered areas (38.1 +/- 0.3 degrees C or 100.6 degrees F) presenting higher peak Tcore than workers covered (37.8 +/- 0.2 degrees C or 100,0 degrees F). Peak Tcore exceeded 38.0 degrees C (100.4 degrees F) in 43% of participants, with 4% surpassing 38.5 degrees C (101.3 degrees F). There was no significant change in USG pre- to post-shift (1.022 +/- 0.005 to 1.022 +/- 0.007), with 63% of workers beginning their shift dehydrated. In Location 2, peak Tcore reached 37.9 +/- 0.2 degrees C (100.2 degrees F), and peak Ts was 36.7 +/- 0.6 degrees C (98.1 degrees F). The average HI was 24.5 degrees C (76.1 degrees F), and there were no significant changes in USG pre- to post-shift (1.021 +/- 0.011 to 1.024 +/- 0.008), with 57% of workers starting their shift dehydrated. Conclusion: Construction workers in both locations experience significant heat strain even during low to moderate environmental heat stress. Workers in uncovered areas face the highest heat strain while working in the summer. Proper hydration strategies and heat stress management protocols (i.e., cooling strategies) are crucial for protecting the health and safety of these workers. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Construction Industry Heat Stress Disorders Hot Temperature Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Body Temperature Construction Workers Dehydration Heat Stress Hot Environments Outdoor Workers Physiological Effects
• Publisher:
  CPWR-The Center for Construction Research and Training
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement
• Genre:
  Report
• Place as Subject:
  Indiana ; Maryland ; Missouri ; New Mexico ; OSHA Region 3 ; OSHA Region 5 ; OSHA Region 6 ; OSHA Region 7
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  1-10
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20069878
• Citation:
  Silver Spring, MD: CPWR-The Center for Construction Research and Training, 2024 May; :1-10
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2024
• NORA Priority Area:
  Construction
• Performing Organization:
  CPWR - The Center for Construction Research and Training, Silver Spring, Maryland
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  20090901
• Source Full Name:
  Environmental heat stress and physiological heat strain in construction workers during work in the summer
• End Date:
  20240831
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:7c1d00fc82a75da27f96efe418a584cea43ddc6bd427d2a8959a81566544d76e294123335e96ad0b9ac39c9608e4bd5c144aeee3edb8036310a73b83c58f6518
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/208217/cdc_208217_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 2.20 MB ]