A modelling framework for local thermal comfort assessment related to bicycle helmet use.

Thermal discomfort due to accumulated sweat increasing head skin wettedness may contribute to low wearing rates of bicycle helmets. Using curated data on human head sweating and helmet thermal properties, a modelling framework for the thermal comfort assessment of bicycle helmet use is proposed. Local sweat rates (LSR) at the head were predicted as the ratio to the gross sweat rate (GSR) of the whole body or by sudomotor sensitivity (SUD), the change in LSR per change in body core temperature (Δt).

A Database of Static Thermal Insulation and Evaporative Resistance Values of Dutch Firefighter Clothing Items and Ensembles.

The rescue operations' environment can impair firefighters' performance and increase the risk of injuries, e.g., burns and hyperthermia.

Local effects of printed logos and reflective striping fixed to firefighter clothing material packages under low radiation exposure.

Notifications that related 1st degree burns to reflective striping and impermeable clothing elements did reach the investigators, while the mechanisms behind this phenomenon are still unclear. Material tests for thermal and evaporative resistance, and for heat transmission under dry and wet conditions at low radiation levels were done to evaluate the performance of protective clothing with and without printed logos or reflective striping. The results under the specified conditions showed reduction of heat loss capacity under impermeable elements from dry to wet conditions.

The Protective Performance of Process Operators' Protective Clothing and Exposure Limits under Low Thermal Radiation Conditions.

During the early stage of a fire, a process operator often acts as the first responder and may be exposed to high heat radiation levels. The present limit values of long- (>15 min) and short-term exposure (<5 min), 1.0 and 1.

ClimApp-Integrating Personal Factors with Weather Forecasts for Individualised Warning and Guidance on Thermal Stress.

This paper describes the functional development of the ClimApp tool (available for free on iOS and Android devices), which combines current and 24 h weather forecasting with individual information to offer personalised guidance related to thermal exposure. Heat and cold stress assessments are based on ISO standards and thermal models where environmental settings and personal factors are integrated into the ClimApp index ranging from -4 (extremely cold) to +4 (extremely hot), while a range of -1 and +1 signifies low thermal stress. Advice for individuals or for groups is available, and the user can customise the model input according to their personal situation, including activity level, clothing, body characteristics, heat acclimatisation, indoor or outdoor situation, and geographical location.

Industrial workwear for hot workplace environments: thermal management attributes.

Personal protective clothing (PPC) is critical for worker safety and wellbeing from both protection and thermal management perspectives, particularly as PPC typically covers more than 90% of the body. Research of PPC in low-risk categories such as mining, oil, gas, and construction and their thermal management attributes is limited, although these industries represent a significant proportion of the industrial workforce, work across a broad range of major industries, and frequently work in hot and/or humid thermal environments. This study evaluated and characterized the thermal management attributes of a selection of commercial low-level risk PPC ensembles currently used around the world as well as a civilian/corporate wear ensemble, using a sweating thermal manikin.

Common clothing area factor estimation equations are inaccurate for highly insulating (I>2 clo) and non-western loose-fitting clothing ensembles.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the equations for calculating the clothing area factor (f) used in the standards based on data sets of clothing ensembles, that are meant to provide thermal comfort over a wide range of climatic conditions from hot summer days to extremely cold winter. Over 10 equations for f calculations were selected from the international standards and the literature. At first a theoretical comparison based on a range of insulation values was performed.

Validation of ISO 9920 clothing item insulation summation method based on an ambulance personnel clothing system.

This study aimed to validate the summation methods suggested by ISO 9920. Twenty seven items from an ambulance personnel clothing system were selected for testing. The basic insulation of each garment item (I) was calculated based on the thermal manikin tests.

Insulation and Evaporative Resistance of Clothing for Sugarcane Harvesters and Chemical Sprayers, and Their Application in PHS Model-Based Exposure Predictions.

Many workers are exposed to heat stress that can be exacerbated by the type of clothing they wear. The resulted heat strain can lead to short or long-term heat-related disorders. This study aimed to measure clothing properties of sugarcane field workers and evaluate the heat strain by an international standard, predicted heat strain model (PHS).

Is There a Need to Integrate Human Thermal Models with Weather Forecasts to Predict Thermal Stress?

More and more people will experience thermal stress in the future as the global temperature is increasing at an alarming rate and the risk for extreme weather events is growing. The increased exposure to extreme weather events poses a challenge for societies around the world. This literature review investigates the feasibility of making advanced human thermal models in connection with meteorological data publicly available for more versatile practices and a wider population.

Heat Stress in Indoor Environments of Scandinavian Urban Areas: A Literature Review.

Climate change increases the risks of heat stress, especially in urban areas where urban heat islands can develop. This literature review aims to describe how severe heat can occur and be identified in urban indoor environments, and what actions can be taken on the local scale. There is a connection between the outdoor and the indoor climate in buildings without air conditioning, but the pathways leading to the development of severe heat levels indoors are complex.

Surveillance of work environment and heat stress assessment using meteorological data.

Health surveillance and workplace surveillance are two related but different aspects of occupational health services. The assessment of heat stress using heat indices and thermal models in connection with meteorological data is an important part of surveillance of workplace heat. The assessment of heat exposure provides the basis for occupational health services.

Oxygen uptake and muscle activity limitations during stepping on a stair machine at three different climbing speeds.

This laboratory study examined human stair ascending capacity and constraining factors including legs' local muscle fatigue (LMF) and cardiorespiratory capacity. Twenty-five healthy volunteers, with mean age 35.3 years, maximal oxygen uptake (VO) of 46.

Under-reporting bicycle accidents to police in the COST TU1101 international survey: Cross-country comparisons and associated factors.

Police crash reports are often the main source for official data in many countries. However, with the exception of fatal crashes, crashes are often underreported in a biased manner. Consequently, the countermeasures adopted according to them may be inefficient.

Human responses in heat - comparison of the Predicted Heat Strain and the Fiala multi-node model for a case of intermittent work.

Two mathematical models of human thermal regulation include the rational Predicted Heat Strain (PHS) and the thermophysiological model by Fiala. The approaches of the models are different, however, they both aim at providing predictions of the thermophysiological responses to thermal environments of an average person. The aim of this study was to compare and analyze predictions of the two models against experimental data.

Exploring how a traditional diluted yoghurt drink may mitigate heat strain during medium-intensity intermittent work: a multidisciplinary study of occupational heat strain.

It is common practice in India to consume the dairy drink buttermilk as a way of mitigating occupational heat strain. This paper explores the thermoregulatory and hydration benefits of drinking buttermilk but also the impacts of work in a hot environment on the gut microbiota, renal and cognitive function. Twelve healthy participants were subjected to a 3-h period of medium load physical intermittent work in a climatic chamber (34°C, 60% RH).

Limitations of oxygen uptake and leg muscle activity during ascending evacuation in stairways.

Stair ascending performance is critical during evacuation from buildings and underground infrastructures. Healthy subjects performed self-paced ascent in three settings: 13 floor building, 31 floor building, 33 m stationary subway escalator. To investigate leg muscle and cardiorespiratory capacities and how they constrain performance, oxygen uptake (VO), heart rate (HR) and ascending speed were measured in all three; electromyography (EMG) in the first two.

Occupational heat stress assessment and protective strategies in the context of climate change.

Global warming will unquestionably increase the impact of heat on individuals who work in already hot workplaces in hot climate areas. The increasing prevalence of this environmental health risk requires the improvement of assessment methods linked to meteorological data. Such new methods will help to reveal the size of the problem and design appropriate interventions at individual, workplace and societal level.

Validation of the thermophysiological model by Fiala for prediction of local skin temperatures.

The most complete and realistic physiological data are derived from direct measurements during human experiments; however, they present some limitations such as ethical concerns, time and cost burden. Thermophysiological models are able to predict human thermal response in a wide range of environmental conditions, but their use is limited due to lack of validation. The aim of this work was to validate the thermophysiological model by Fiala for prediction of local skin temperatures against a dedicated database containing 43 different human experiments representing a wide range of conditions.

Use of a novel smart heating sleeping bag to improve wearers' local thermal comfort in the feet.

Previous studies have revealed that wearers had low skin temperatures and cold and pain sensations in the feet, when using sleeping bags under defined comfort and limit temperatures. To improve wearers' local thermal comfort in the feet, a novel heating sleeping bag (i.e.

A ventilation cooling shirt worn during office work in a hot climate: cool or not?

The aim of the study was to identify whether a ventilation cooling shirt was effective in reducing heat strain in a hot climate. Eight female volunteers were exposed to heat (38 °C, 45% relative humidity) for 2 h with simulated office work. In the first hour they were in normal summer clothes (total thermal insulation 0.

Opportunities and constraints of presently used thermal manikins for thermo-physiological simulation of the human body.

Combining the strengths of an advanced mathematical model of human physiology and a thermal manikin is a new paradigm for simulating thermal behaviour of humans. However, the forerunners of such adaptive manikins showed some substantial limitations. This project aimed to determine the opportunities and constraints of the existing thermal manikins when dynamically controlled by a mathematical model of human thermal physiology.

Protection against cold in prehospital care: wet clothing removal or addition of a vapor barrier.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of wet clothing removal or the addition of a vapor barrier in shivering subjects exposed to a cold environment with only limited insulation available.

Methods: Volunteer subjects (n = 8) wearing wet clothing were positioned on a spineboard in a climatic chamber (-18.5°C) and subjected to an initial 20 minutes of cooling followed by 30 minutes of 4 different insulation interventions in a crossover design: 1) 1 woolen blanket; 2) vapor barrier plus 1 woolen blanket; 3) wet clothing removal plus 1 woolen blanket; or 4) 2 woolen blankets.