Using meteorological data to estimate heat stress of construction workers on scaffolds for improved safety standards

Abstract

The analysis of susceptibility of construction workers to heat stress, the results of which are presented in this paper, was an important research module of the large research project focused on safety of workers on construction sites. The paper assesses the possibility of using different sets of data gathered in full scale on the scaffolding and on the meteorological station to estimate the heat stress of people working on scaffolding. The main purpose is to check if the use of public data from meteorological stations can provide reliable estimation. A simplified formula of Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI*) is used in analyses. The values of UTCI* calculated on the basis of two sets of input parameters are compared to each other and analysed. The measurements and UTCI* calculations are presented for 24 scaffolding structures located in Poland in Łódź and Lower Silesian provinces. Test results based on construction sites and meteorological stations data are different, but statistical analysis shows their correlation. A stronger correlation occurs for scaffolding structures located in Łódź province, while it is weaker for the results obtained in Lower Silesian province. The results show the possibility of simplified evaluation of comfort/discomfort of people working on scaffolding on the basis of publicly available environmental data measured at meteorological stations.