Risk Of Heat Stress Research Articles

Thermal comfort plays an influential role in the learning process. This paper explores the thermal comfort of students studying in a large university library in Johannesburg, South Africa. Quantitatively, Humidex was used to quantify and classify the level of thermal comfort using eight thermal data loggers that were installed in the library on the 1st of September 2023 and ran until the 25th of May 2024. These high spatiotemporal resolution meteorological data were used to calculate Humidex values for each 15 min interval, classifying periods of thermal discomfort from these output scores through the austral summer. Qualitatively, students’ self-reported thermal comfort in the library was explored through a questionnaire. The first floor was perceived to be the coolest and the third floor the warmest. Of the total respondents who consumed water, 8.33% felt hot and 1.96% felt very hot. The majority of respondents on the second floor added clothing in response to feeling cold or very cold; the third floor was characterised by the most respondents removing clothing in response to feeling hot or very hot; the first floor had minimal thermal behavioural adaption. This study shows that there is a risk of heat stress, especially if people do not have access to water.

Abstract Primates exhibit thermal behaviors (use of postures in tree stratum) that help regulate body temperature in response to environmental conditions, reducing the energetic and water costs of thermoregulation. This study examined the relationship between ambient temperature and thermal behavioral strategies during resting periods in mantled howler monkeys (Alouatta palliata) across three sites in Veracruz, Mexico: Agaltepec (AGA; 28.4 ± 4.7 °C), Mirador Pilapa (MP; 28.8 ± 2.1 °C), and Zapoapan (ZAP; 28.9 ± 2.5 °C). We used focal-animal sampling, randomly selecting individuals and recording the time invested in each posture and the tree stratum in which they rested, and the ambient temperature. All statistical analyses were performed independently between sites. The results indicate that, across the three study sites, a consistent pattern of posture adopted within specific tree strata was observed, despite differences in altitude, vegetation, and ambient temperature. We found a strong positive correlation between lower temperatures and the time recorded in the semi-fetal posture in the high strata (Rc>0.7547), and between higher temperatures and the time recorded in the extended posture in the low strata (Rc>0.6803). These results suggest howler monkeys combine posture and vertical positioning to optimize thermoregulation. However, as temperatures rise, the preference for extended postures in lower strata—where temperatures may be cooler—leads to longer rest periods. This behavioral shift could reduce feeding and hydration, potentially increasing the risk of dehydration or heat stress under future climate conditions.

Who's responsible for health during extreme heat events? An ethnographic document analysis of health promotion materials in Australia.

The integration of radiative cooling and antibacterial functionality into a single-material platform is a promising strategy for addressing the dual global challenges of climate-induced heat stress and microbial contamination risks. An antibacterial radiative cooling device (ARCD) is developed in this study by constructing a triple-layer structure consisting of a top layer of Ag nanoparticles (Ag NPs) for antibacterial action, a polydimethylsiloxane middle layer for mid-infrared thermal emission, and a bottom Ag thin film for visible light reflection. The ligand-exchanged Ag-1,4-butanedithiol (BDT) NPs ensure strong interfacial adhesion and robust antibacterial performance, achieving >99.99% bacterial reduction for both Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. The optimized ARCD containing 0.1 mg·mL-1 Ag-BDT NPs exhibits a subambient cooling of up to 3.7 °C under outdoor conditions while maintaining effective antibacterial efficacy. Furthermore, the device is functionalized with nontoxic green-emitting InP quantum dots to enable photoluminescent radiative cooling and aesthetic versatility. The resulting luminescent antibacterial cooling tumbler exhibits real-world applicability with a 6.8 °C reduction in water temperature and sustained antimicrobial activity. This study highlights the potential of multifunctional ARCDs as next-generation materials for sustainable thermal management and hygiene protection in built environments and consumer products.

Climatic heat stress in Hong Kong’s construction industry has been exacerbated by global climate change in recent times and the city has been taking proactive measures in protecting its workforce. Heat stress management systems refer to integrated frameworks, including policies, technologies, and practices, designed to monitor, mitigate, and prevent heat-related risks to workers’ health and productivity in hot environments. This scoping review investigates the existing heat stress management systems within Hong Kong’s construction industry, analyzing policies and academic research, and highlighting challenges and proposing solutions. A systematic scoping method was used to review and synthesize findings from 49 peer-reviewed articles (updated to 2025) and nine policy documents. This study highlights the interplay between research innovations like AI-driven models and wearable cooling technologies and policy frameworks. The results indicate substantial progress in Hong Kong’s drive to manage heat strain and accidents among construction workers over the years, with advancements in real-time advisory systems and protective equipment, improving worker safety and productivity. However, limited scalability, costs, socio-cultural compliance issues, gaps in addressing equity concerns among vulnerable workers, policy implementation, and other challenges persist. This review underscores the importance of building resilient systems against the escalating heat stress risks by proposing the integration of research-based technological innovation with policies and socio-organizational considerations. It contributes to providing the first updated scoping review post-2020, identifying implementation gaps (e.g., 40% non-compliance rate) and proposing a concrete action framework for future interventions. Recommendations for future research include cross-regional adaptations, cost-effective solutions for medium-sized construction enterprises, and the continuous re-evaluation and improvement of current interventions.

Purpose This study establishes a non-contact infrared (IR) thermography framework to overcome color and/or texture biases plaguing traditional textile liquid transport evaluation. By integrating Segment Anything Model (SAM)-based image segmentation with thermal dynamics analysis, we aim to (1) develop optical-property-independent quantification of directional capillary transport; (2) identify critical performance determinants through temporal-spatial feature extraction and (3) create standardized metrics for next-generation sportswear optimization. The methodology enables real-time, interference-free assessment of synthetic fabric liquid management, addressing industry needs for objective performance benchmarking. Ultimately, this advances data-driven design of functional textiles with engineered capillary networks, moving beyond empirical trial-and-error approaches in perspiration management system development. Design/methodology/approach A non-contact IR thermography system integrated with SAM was developed to overcome color/texture biases in traditional textile evaluation. IR imaging captured real-time thermal dynamics during simulated sweat transport (10 fabric specimens), while the SAM algorithm segmented wetting fronts independent of optical properties. Six capillary metrics (Wetting Time (WT), Maximum Wetting Area (MWA), Maximum Wetting Rate, etc.) were extracted from temporal-spatial thermal profiles. Principal component analysis (PCA) reduced dimensionality to two critical factors (WT: temporal efficiency; MWA: spatial capacity), explaining 82.74% variance. Validation included heatmap visualization and comparative benchmarking against gravimetric methods. The framework enables standardized, real-time characterization of directional liquid transport without contact interference. Findings The SAM-enhanced IR thermography system successfully quantified directional capillary transport non-invasively, overcoming color/texture biases of conventional methods. PCA identified two critical dimensions: WT (63.21%) for temporal efficiency and MWA (19.53%) for spatial absorption capacity, jointly explaining 82.74% of variance. Heatmap analysis validated these dominant factors, revealing synthetic blends (e.g. Coolmax/polypropylene) outperformed natural fiber composites in transport efficiency. The framework enabled real-time monitoring without contact interference, demonstrating superior reliability compared to gravimetric techniques. Results provide a physics-based metric system for optimizing pore structures and hydrophilic-hydrophobic fiber arrangements, advancing standardized evaluation of liquid management in functional sportswear textiles. Research limitations/implications While demonstrating efficacy on ten synthetic sportswear fabrics, the method requires validation across broader textile classes (e.g. natural fiber blends) and environmental conditions (humidity/temperature variations). Current metrics focus on unidirectional transport; multi-axial capillary dynamics remain uncharacterized. The SAM-IR framework establishes a standardized evaluation protocol for textile engineers to objectively optimize liquid management via pore geometry tuning and fiber hydrophilicity gradients. This enables data-driven development of advanced perspiration-wicking fabrics, reducing reliance on empirical trial-and-error approaches. Future integration with biomechanical models could personalize sportswear design based on athlete-specific thermoregulatory demands. Practical implications This non-contact framework enables textile manufacturers to objectively benchmark liquid transport performance across diverse fabrics (dark/patterned textiles included), overcoming traditional color/texture limitations. The established metrics (WT/MWA) guide data-driven optimization of pore architectures and hydrophilic-hydrophobic fiber ratios for enhanced perspiration management. Quality control labs can implement this real-time system for rapid sportswear grading (e.g. LTEI certification), reducing evaluation time by 68% versus gravimetric methods. Sportswear brands may leverage heatmap-derived capillary activation patterns to engineer zone-specific moisture routing in compression garments, improving athlete thermoregulation. The methodology paves the way for smart textile development with embedded IR sensors for on-body liquid transport monitoring. Social implications This technology promotes equitable sportswear development by eliminating color-based evaluation biases, ensuring athletes wearing dark-colored apparel receive objectively assessed moisture-wicking gear. Enhanced thermoregulation fabrics reduce heat stress risks during intense exercise, particularly benefiting youth sports participants susceptible to overheating. The non-contact method facilitates customized moisture management designs for adaptive athletes using prosthetics. Environmentally, optimized liquid transport extends garment lifespan, reducing microfiber pollution from frequent washing. Consumers gain access to scientifically validated performance data, empowering informed purchases for medical needs like eczema management. By shifting textile evaluation from empirical to physics-based metrics, this framework advances inclusive, sustainable innovation in functional apparel engineering. Originality/value This study pioneers the integration of SAM with IR thermography to establish the first non-contact, color-agnostic framework for quantifying directional liquid transport in textiles. The novel SAM-enabled wetting front segmentation overcomes optical property limitations of traditional methods, while real-time thermal dynamics capture reveals critical temporal-spatial transport mechanisms. By defining two physics-based principal components (WT: temporal efficiency; MWA: spatial capacity), the work provides a paradigm shift from empirical textile evaluation to data-driven design. This methodology sets new standards for functional sportswear development, enabling precise optimization of capillary networks and pore geometries without contact interference – a breakthrough in perspiration management research.

Climate change negatively impacts İstanbul as a Mediterranean city. The observed trends of air temperature over the last decades shows an overall increase in air temperature and extreme events. İstanbul is also at an increased risk of heat stress due to the effect of increasing urbanization. Reliable estimates of air temperature's health impacts in İstanbul are needed to understand the relationship between city's climate and health of its residents. This study examined the relationship between ambient temperatures and respiratory, cardiovascular, and total (non-accidental) mortality to reveal the health effects of ambient temperatures between 2007 and 2012 in İstanbul. A distributed lag non-linear model (DLNM) paired with a quasi-Poisson regression was employed to analyze the city-specific lag effects of temperature on mortality. The temperature-mortality associations were modeled using a period of up to 21 days (lag 0-20) to examine the delayed and non-linear effects of cold and hot temperatures after the day of exposure. The findings of this study showed that extreme cold temperatures have the highest relative risk for cardiovascular mortality and extreme hot temperatures have the highest relative risks on respiratory and total mortality. Extreme hot days (above 97.5th percentile) and extreme cold days (below 2.5th percentile) accounted for 1.9 (95% CI [CI], 0-7.5) and 9.0 (95% CI, 3.1-21.0) excess deaths for every 1000 cardiovascular deaths, respectively.

Heat stress has a major impact on dairy cow health and productivity, especially during early lactation. Conventional heat stress monitoring methods frequently rely on single indicators, such as the temperature–humidity index (THI), which may miss subtle physiological and metabolic responses. This study presents a novel threshold-based classification framework that integrates biologically meaningful combinations of environmental, behavioural, and physiological variables to detect early-stage heat stress responses in dairy cows. Six composite heat stress conditions (C1–C6) were developed using real-time THI, milk temperature, reticulorumen pH, rumination time, milk lactose, and milk fat-to-protein ratio. The study applied and assessed five supervised machine learning models (Partial Least Squares Discriminant Analysis (PLS-DA), Support Vector Machine (SVM), Random Forest (RF0, Neural Network (NN), and an Ensemble approach) trained on daily datasets gathered from early-lactation dairy cows fitted with intraruminal boluses and monitored through milking parlour sensor systems. The dataset comprised approximately 36,000 matched records from 200 cows monitored over 60 days. The highest classification performance was observed for RF and NN models, particularly under C1 (THI > 73 and milk temperature > 38.6 °C) and C6 (THI > 74 and milk temperature > 38.7 °C), with AUC values exceeding 0.90. SHAP analysis revealed that milk temperature, THI, rumination time, and milk lactose were the most informative features across conditions. This integrative approach enhances precision livestock monitoring by enabling individualised heat stress risk classification well before clinical or production-level consequences emerge.

The Sports Medicine Australia extreme heat risk and response guidelines and web tool.

Global warming increases the risk of heat stress in dairy cattle, thereby jeopardizing their health and the economic benefits of dairy farms. Chromium propionate (CrPro) is a chromium source permitted for use in feed additives. However, research on the effects of CrPro on heat-stressed dairy cows is limited. Therefore, this study assessed the effects of different doses of CrPro on heat-stressed dairy cows. Holstein dairy cows with similar body condition, milk yield, and parity were randomly divided into three groups: the control group (Con), the low-dose group (CrL), and the high-dose group (CrH), with 10 cows per group. CrPro was supplemented at doses of 0, 4, and 8 mg/(d·cow) in the basal diets of each group, respectively. The trial lasted for 45 days. The temperature-humidity index (THI) in the cowshed was monitored daily to assess the heat stress status of the cows. Daily milk yield was recorded, and rectal temperature was measured according to experimental requirements. Milk composition, antioxidant capacity, liver enzyme activity, lipid metabolism, and other parameters were analyzed. The composition and diversity of the rumen microbiota were also assessed. Results showed that the average THI in the cowshed during the trial period (0–45 days) was 74.97 ± 2.85, indicating that dairy cows used in this study experienced mild heat stress. Compared with the Con group, the CrL and CrH groups had reduced rectal temperature and respiratory rate. The CrH group had significantly lower milk yield loss and somatic cell count (p < 0.05). No significant differences were observed in milk composition, antioxidant capacity, liver enzyme activity, or lipid metabolism between the CrL and CrH groups (p > 0.05). Compared with the CrH group, the CrL group had lower volatile fatty acids (VFAs) (acetate, propionate, butyrate, isobutyrate, valerate, and isovalerate) in rumen fluid. Compared with the control group, both CrL and CrH groups exhibited enhanced microbial abundance and an optimized ruminal community structure. Overall, an 8 mg/(d·cow) dose of CrPro had a greater impact on improving production performance and economic benefits. The findings of this study provide data support for selecting an appropriate CrPro dosage to reduce heat stress-induced economic losses on dairy farms.

The performance of estrus synchronization protocols may be influenced by stressful environmental conditions, even in tropically adapted cattle. This study evaluated the efficacy of two synchronization protocols for fixed-time artificial insemination (FTAI) in crossbred Gyr dairy cows and their relationship with heat stress under Peruvian tropical conditions. Multiparous lactating cows under semi-intensive systems were synchronized and divided into two groups: the conventional protocol (PC9) and the prolonged proestrus protocol (J-Synch6). Estrus manifestation, pregnancy rate, and their association with the temperature-humidity index (THI) were analyzed across seven phases of the FTAI program (73 days). In PC9 cows, no significant effect of the number of hours in each heat stress category according to THI was found. Conversely, in J-Synch6 cows, more hours in Category 0 (THI < 72) during Phases 1 to 4 (follicular emergence to preovulatory follicle) had a positive effect on the estrus manifestation, whereas in Phase 3 (follicular growth), higher exposure to Category 3 (THI ≥ 83) had a negative effect on estrus manifestation. Both protocols demonstrated similar estrus and pregnancy rates, although heat stress affected estrus rates in J-Synch6, but not pregnancy. The choice of protocol should account for heat stress risks during specific periods of the year to maximize success.

Global climate change poses a challenge to the health prevention of heat-exposed outdoor workers. Interventions with mobile or wearable devices monitoring physiological and environmental parameters may be one solution to maintain and promote their health. Based on the recognized potential of wearables in mitigating heat stress, a detailed analysis of the contextual factors, mechanisms, and outcomes of wearable device-based interventions is lacking. A scoping review was carried out to address the objectives of contextual analysis, fundamental mechanisms, and an assessment of outcomes to propose an explanatory intervention model based on the findings. Web of Science and PubMed databases were searched by search strings related to (1) wearables (2), outdoor workers, and (3) heat stress. Study characteristics and relevant data regarding the context-mechanism-outcome configurations were extracted and analyzed. Out of 410 articles detected, 19 publications were eligible for in-depth review. Wearables are well-accepted for the prevention of heat stress symptoms. By recording relevant indicators, i.e., heart rate and temperature, real-time health alerts can be issued as risk-based early warnings, and personalized feedback or recommendations towards behavior adaptation can be generated. A high risk of occupational heat stress was identified for construction, agriculture, and groundwork workers. Heat-exposed outdoor workers were mainly young to middle-aged males and often overweight or obese, with increased heart and breathing rates in hot work environments. Wearable device-based interventions are particularly effective if a mindset of safety culture is present in the workplace and environmental health literacy is promoted to increase heat risk awareness and willingness to change work health behavior. Based on these findings, we developed an explanatory intervention model. This model draws on well-established frameworks, theories, and models. It helps to identify, describe, and explain what works, for whom, and under what circumstances in the context of wearable usage in heat-exposed outdoor workers. Incorporating environmental health literacy and precision prevention in occupational health approaches with continuous monitoring of environmental and physiological parameters will allow for real-time, tailored feedback, leading to more effective heat stress prevention.

Urban heat typologies: impact of heatwaves on urban built environment and heat stress risk to the elderly in Darmstadt, Germany

Background: Heat-related illnesses (HRIs) pose a major occupational health challenge, particularly among workers engaged in strenuous labor in hot environments. Rural India’s fire clay brick industry exposes workers to extreme temperatures, increasing their risk of heat stress and related complications. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of HRIs and identify associated risk factors among brick kiln workers in rural India. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 123 adult workers from three fire clay brick kilns in Andhra Pradesh, India. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire adapted from the high occupational temperature health and productivity suppression (HOTHAPS) tool and additional items assessing workplace exposures. Information on socio-demographics, occupational conditions, and HRI symptoms was collected. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 22.0, with associations tested using chi-square and other appropriate tests (p&lt;0.05). Results: The overall prevalence of HRIs (excluding heavy sweating) was 80.49%. Significant risk factors included job type, prolonged direct heat exposure, high workload, inadequate hydration, and absence of shaded rest areas. Conclusions: HRIs are highly prevalent among fire clay brick workers in rural India. Improved work conditions, hydration access, shaded areas, and heat safety education are urgently needed to reduce risk and enhance worker well-being.

While high temperatures are linked to poor sleep, few studies considered heat stress, especially among outdoor workers. We investigated associations between heat stress and sleep health among farmers. The study included 8,203 male participants from Iowa (78%) and North Carolina (NC, 22%), enrolled in the Agricultural Health Study (2013-2015), who were actively farming when data were collected. Survey data on sleep, demographics and covariates were linked to daily wet bulb globe temperatures (WBGT) from May 2013-September 2015. We calculated absolute heat stress by averaging WBGT over 2, 5, and 7 days before the interview. Relative heat stress (i.e., the difference between absolute heat stress and the 92.5th percentile of WBGT) was also calculated. WBGT was categorized by heat stress risk (low, moderate, high). Sleep measures included short nightly sleep duration (<7 hours), daytime sleepiness (≥3 days/week), daytime napping (yes), and long napping duration (≥30 minutes). Poisson regression with robust variance was used to estimate sociodemographic-adjusted prevalence ratios and 95% confidence intervals (PR[CI]) in Iowa and NC, separately. Farmers had a mean age of 63 years [SD=10.1]; 37.8% reported short sleep, 8.1% daytime sleepiness, 44.6% daytime napping, and 17.1% long naps. Mean absolute WBGT were 70.4°F (SD=6.36) in Iowa and 77.7°F (SD=7.83) in NC. In Iowa, moderate heat stress (2-day average) was associated with higher short sleep prevalence (PR= 1.04 [1.00-1.07]). In NC, higher absolute and relative WBGT (2-/5-/7-day average), as well as moderate (2-/7-day) and high (2-day) heat stress were associated with daytime napping (e.g., PR 2-day absolute WBGT= 1.02 [1.01-1.04]). In both states, high heat stress was associated with a lower prevalence of long naps (e.g., PRIowa, 2-day heat stress= 0.86 [0.83-0.89]). Among farmers, heat stress was associated self-reported indicators of poor sleep. Future research with objective sleep measures is warranted.

Abstract. Urban areas in all world regions are experiencing increasing heat stress and heat-related risks. While in-depth knowledge exists in terms of the urban heat island effect and increased heat stress in cities in the context of climate change, less is known about how individual heat perceptions and experiences differ between urban forms or with different vulnerability profiles of exposed people. It is crucial to identify and assess differences within cities relating to urban form and social structure, as both need to be considered when designing adaptation plans for heat-related risks. Here, we explore linkages between urban structure types (USTs), heat stress perception and different socio-economic groups' experiences in Berlin using a household survey, statistical and earth observation data. Our approach (1) quantifies perceived heat stress across USTs, considering characteristics such as, age, income, vegetation cover and shade, (2) characterises social dimensions of USTs to enhance their application in climate adaptation and (3) benefits from the synergistic disciplinary approach of the urbisphere project with rich social and physical datasets. Although heat stress exposure is higher in the inner-city ring, we find that a higher percentage of vulnerable groups in the outer city (6 to 18 km from the city centre), where 78 % of Berlin's elderly live. We underscore the need for attention in future adaptation plans based on the USTs, human vulnerability profile and adaptive capacities. For example, in densely spaced building blocks 67 % of respondents perceived high heat stress and fractions of vegetation and shade are comparatively very low. The method and findings can inform future adaptation strategies of other cities to consider different profiles of vulnerability and adaptive capacities within and between USTs.

Abstract Farmworkers in California’s Imperial Valley face a disproportionate risk of heat stress from prolonged exposure to extreme temperatures. However, heat stress is more than just extreme temperature and depends on humidity, winds, and sun exposure. These conditions can be aggregated into the wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT), a metric endorsed by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for monitoring workplace heat. To better inform heat mitigation strategies, we construct a climatology of summertime WBGT in Imperial Valley for 30 years during 1991–2020. The climatology is constructed from a dynamical downscaling of ERA5 reanalysis to 1.5 km using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model, using quantile mapping to bias correct WBGT inputs against regional weather station observations. We find that WBGT is the highest in urban areas, where summertime daily maxima average 34°C and in rural croplands below mean sea level. National Weather Service (NWS) thresholds of WBGT that portend elevated heat stress are frequently exceeded, with 60%–70% of summer days exceeding the highest threshold of 32.2°C. WBGT also shows statistically significant warming trends over populated areas, and the onset of consecutive extreme WBGT days is occurring earlier in summer. Furthermore, breaks in the North American monsoon result in lower WBGTs, suggesting a source of intraseasonal WBGT predictability. These results underscore the need to downscale climate projections for the near future while bolstering heat mitigation and adaptation plans for vulnerable communities. Significance Statement Farmworkers in California’s Imperial Valley are at heightened risk of heat stress due to their prolonged heat exposure and unique social vulnerabilities. This heat stress can be proxied by the wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT), which aggregates temperature, humidity, winds, and sun exposure. Using high-resolution climate modeling, we characterize summertime WBGTs in the Imperial Valley during 1991–2020. We find that the WBGT is the highest in urban areas and where croplands are below mean sea level. In fact, the average summertime WBGT is frequently above National Weather Service thresholds that indicate when rest periods should be taken. Furthermore, long-term warming trends and an earlier onset of extreme WBGT days put farmworkers increasingly at risk to heat stress. Additionally, we note that periods of relief from heat stress tend to occur during breaks in the North American monsoon, offering a route to improving forecasts of heat comfort. These results underscore the need for localized WBGT climate projections while bolstering heat mitigation and adaptation plans for vulnerable farmworkers.

Background and Aim:Rising global temperatures and increasing humidity levels are intensifying the risk of heat stress (HS) in high-yielding dairy cattle. The temperature–humidity index (THI) is a standard metric for evaluating thermal stress in livestock. This study aimed to assess seasonal and diurnal variations in temperature, relative humidity, and THI within a milking parlor and determine their compliance with established thermal comfort thresholds for dairy cows.Materials and Methods:The study was conducted in a glass-roofed, windowless milking parlor housing 400 Holstein–Friesian cows in Bulgaria. Microclimatic parameters (temperature, relative humidity, and THI) were measured during three daily milking sessions (morning, noon, and evening) at 3 time points (start, middle, and end) over a 12-month period. Measurements were taken inside the parlor and 10 m outside. Statistical analysis involved one-way analysis of variance and post hoc tests using STATISTICA version 10.Results:Summer and spring exhibited the highest mean and peak temperatures (up to 31.4°C), while winter showed the highest relative humidity (82.39%). THI values peaked in summer, reaching levels classified as “danger” for dairy cows. Morning milking generally recorded lower temperatures and THI. Seasonal variation significantly influenced all microclimatic indicators (p < 0.001), while milking sequence significantly affected temperature and THI (p < 0.05).Conclusion:In-parlor thermal conditions, especially during summer, exceeded comfort thresholds and posed a risk for HS. The study underscores the urgent need to revise livestock housing regulations to include THI-specific standards for milking parlors. Incorporating real-time microclimatic monitoring can enhance animal welfare and productivity in dairy systems.

Heat stress risk assessment of farmers working in a hot environment: What about in Zambia?

Work climate, particularly high ambient temperatures, significantly affects workers’ health and productivity. Extreme heat exposure may increase the risk of health issues, including cardiovascular diseases. This study aimed to assess the work climate conditions at PT Pelindo Terminal Petikemas TPK Bitung and evaluate the potential health risks for workers. This was a descriptive study using a quantitative approach. The variable measured was work climate, assessed using a Heat Stress Monitor during daytime shifts (08:20–19:40 WITA) with measurements taken every 40 minutes. Univariate analysis was used to describe the distribution of temperature parameters. The average work climate temperature was 29°C, with a minimum of 26°C and a maximum of 35.5°C. Based on the Indonesian Ministry of Manpower Regulation No. 5 of 2018, a Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) of 29°C is within the safe threshold for light to moderate workloads but may exceed the Threshold Limit Value (TLV) under heavy physical exertion, especially under direct sunlight. The work climate at PT Pelindo Terminal Petikemas TPK Bitung presents varying levels of occupational health risk depending on the intensity and type of work performed. Preventive interventions are necessary to reduce the risk of heat stress.