Abstract
The objective of this work was to evaluate the heat stress on workers of the construction industry on open-air concrete slabs in the city of Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil. Brazilian NR-15 provides a method for evaluating the heat stress to which a person is exposed using the WBGT (wet bulb globe temperature) index, prescribing rest pauses according to the type of activity. The methodology included measurements of environmental thermal variables and atmospheric quantities, followed by the calculation of the WBGT index. Data was collected at 12 different locations from August/2017 to March/2018, covering three diferent seasons. Results show that moderate and heavy activities on concrete slabs require pauses in every month, except in August.
Highlights
Workers of the construction industry often need to wear clothing and protective equipment covering most of their bodies
The heat stress to which a person is exposed may be evaluated by the WBGT index
For locations with solar load, NR-152 establishes that the WBGT index be determined by the equation WBGT = 0.7 Tbn + 0.2 Tg + 0.1 Tbs
Summary
Introduction Workers of the construction industry often need to wear clothing and protective equipment covering most of their bodies. Such clothing conditions, added to the work rate and the working climate[1], may lead to heat stress, which occurs when the body's means of controlling its internal temperature starts to fail. Among the several effects of heat stress, typical symptoms are an inability to concentrate, muscle cramps, fainting, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke.
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