What are the ways to reduce the thermal load on employees?

Long-term, intensive work in a hot microclimate causes not only noticeable heat stress and fatigue, but also disturbances in the functioning of the circulatory system. It was also found that the number of accidents at workplaces increases with increasing air temperature of the working environment and work intensity. CIOP-PIB reports that in Poland, about 20,000 people work in a hot microclimate (air temperature from 25 ºC to 60 ºC, relative humidity from 10% to 80%). This takes place in industries such as: metallurgical, glass, mining, and in the summer, during hot weather in the open space.

The employer is obliged, under the Labor Code, to take actions that will eliminate or at least reduce the risks caused by dangerous and harmful factors of the work environment. Workers should be informed about the negative effects of long-term work in a hot environment and have access to an adequate amount of drinks. In the case of workplaces where such solutions cannot be introduced, individual cooling systems can be an effective treatment. These are so-called cooling systems built into the garment. They use: phase change materials (PCM), ice (as a special case of phase change material), air or liquid. The most effective is cooling the head and neck, hands and feet, but not always these systems are possible due to the need to perform specific activities by the person using the system, hence the most popular cooling systems for the whole body or torso. The most common are vests with packages filled with water ice or solid carbon dioxide (dry ice). This method of cooling is simple as it does not require an external energy source, can be portable, and is a good solution for short-term exposure to heat. The air cooling system is the best in terms of heat dissipation by convection and sweat evaporation, however, it depends largely on the physical parameters of the air and on the protective clothing used, which should allow the discharge of air introduced underneath. Another cooling medium can be a liquid, most often in the form of water, due to its high thermal conductivity.

Source: CIOP-PIB

Source: https://www.seka.pl/sposoby-zmniejszenia-obciazenia-termicznego-pracownikow/

Region Gdański NSZZ „Solidarność”

Projekt otrzymał dofinansowanie z Norwegii poprzez Fundusze Norweskie 2014-2021, w ramach programu „Dialog społeczny – godna praca”.

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