Effects of Heat Stress on Risk Perceptions and Risk Taking

Details

• Personal Author:
  Bernard, Thomas E. ; Chang C-H ; Logan J
• Description:
  Exposure to extreme heat at work is a serious occupational hazard, as exposure can result in heat-related illnesses, and it has been linked to increased risk of accidents and injuries. The current study aimed to examine whether heat exposure is related to changes in individuals' psychological process of risk evaluation, and whether acclimatization can mitigate the effect of heat exposure. A study with quasi-experiment research design was used to compare participants' risk perceptions and risk-taking behaviors at baseline, initial exposure to heat, and exposure after acclimatization across male participants who were exposed to heat (N = 6), and males (N = 5) and females (N = 6) who were in the control group who were exposed to ambient temperature. Results show that participants perceived the same risky behaviors to be less risky (p = 0.003) and demonstrated increased risk-taking behaviors (p = 0.001) after initial heat exposure. While their risk perceptions returned to baseline level after acclimatization, their risk-taking behaviors remained heightened (p = 0.031). Participants who were not exposed to heat showed no significant fluctuation in their risk perceptions and risk-taking. Our findings support that risk-related processes may explain the effects of heat exposure on increased accidents and injuries beyond its direct impact on heat-related illnesses. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Accidents, Occupational Behavior Environmental Exposure Heat Stress Disorders Hot Temperature Men Mental Health Occupational Health Risk Assessment Risk Factors Safety Temperature Women Workplace

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• Keywords:
  Accidents Acclimatization Author Keywords: Heat Stress Exposure Levels Hazards Heat Heat Exposure Heat Stress Humans Injuries Psychological Processes Psychology Risk Behavior Risk Evaluation Risk Factors Temperature Effects Work Environment Workers

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• ISSN:
  0003-6870
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Florida ; Michigan ; OSHA Region 4 ; OSHA Region 5
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  150-157
• Volume:
  62
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20050553
• Citation:
  Appl Ergon 2017 Jul; 62:150-157
• Contact Point Address:
  Chu-Hsiang Chang, PhD, Department of Psychology, 346 Physics Road, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824
• Email:
  cchang@msu.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2017
• Performing Organization:
  Sunshine Education and Research Center, University of South Florida
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20050701
• Source Full Name:
  Applied Ergonomics
• End Date:
  20290630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:19f38fbc2f7f1135c4b17e8e151770d521d1e9953d70f5c95c19fba13546529a0095290d8fb83cfb14cd09aeab2784a32ef0c495c0b276a4acd50321668f330e
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/210855/cdc_210855_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 395.43 KB ]