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i

Heat Stress and Strain Monitoring for Electric Utility Workers



Details

  • Personal Author:
    Brown E
  • Description:
    Objective: This project is the culmination of two years of intense data collection and analysis. Lineworkers (and some other occupational classes) were monitored for heat stress indicators (WBGT, metabolic load based on task analysis, and clothing factors) as well as heat strain (heart rate and oral body temperature). Methods: Various other potentially-related factors were collected, such as acclimatization status, BMI, and prescription drug use. Over 600 one- to three-hour tasks were measured. The workers were monitored mostly in a very hot, very dry desert environment. This data has been compared to a variety of standards and indices. OSHA/CalOSHA, ACGIH/NIOSH, and several others. The following questions were asked: Were the workers over-exposed to heat, according to the TLV, the RAL/REL, or task-based STEL? Which job classes had the highest exposure? What was the incidence of heat strain indications at certain set points for different job classes and different job tasks? At what temperature, RH, WBGT, Metabolic Rate, and what clothing combinations were indications of heat strain present? Were indications of heat strain present at the 85/95 degrees F CalOSHA set points? What predictors of heat stress showed the highest influence in predicting heat strain indications? Results: Preliminary data analysis and evaluation suggest that despite body temperature being suggested and utilized as a primary outcome measurement by many organizations, elevated body temperatures were not found in any but very rare instances, and these were not found to be related to task intensity or WBGT temperatures. Conclusions: Heart rate seems to be a better outcome tool, and instead of a flat heart rate, a difference from baseline may work. [Description provided by NIOSH]
  • Subjects:
  • Keywords:
  • Publisher:
    American Industrial Hygiene Association
  • Document Type:
    Text
  • Funding:
    Grant
  • Genre:
    Abstract or Summary
  • Place as Subject:
  • CIO:
    National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
  • Topic:
    Workplace Safety & Health
  • Location:
    North America
  • Pages in Document:
    93-94
  • NIOSHTIC Number:
    nn:20055855
  • Citation:
    AIHce 2013: American Industrial Hygiene Conference and Exposition, May 18-23, 2013, Montreal, Quebec. Falls Church, VA: American Industrial Hygiene Association, 2013 May; :93-94
  • Federal Fiscal Year:
    2013
  • Performing Organization:
    University of California Los Angeles
  • Peer Reviewed:
    False
  • Start Date:
    20050701
  • Source Full Name:
    AIHce 2013: American Industrial Hygiene Conference and Exposition, May 18-23, 2013, Montreal, Quebec
  • End Date:
    20270630
  • Collection(s):
  • Main Document Checksum:
    urn:sha-512:dd7e9481dbf3156fc313c825420c69e3e1f66bebe12dc9ed370227f70990bfd1173999fee0ac37324ff4aedda165a37d11ff73047e73f965cca85eb074bf8f5c
  • Download URL:
  • File Type:
    Filetype[PDF - 937.07 KB ]
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