Outdoor Working Environment Research Articles

Subjective evaluation of outdoor environments for sedentary office activities -Trial experiment on two terrace locations -

Today, with various work styles increasing, the outdoor as a workspace is being reconsidered. Some may feel more tolerant of outdoor noise than of indoor one, but there is limited research that mentions how background noise affects humans psychologically in outdoor work environments. Based on the hypothesis that the outdoor tolerance of noise level is higher than the indoor one, we conducted subjective experiments on external terrace locations. In conducting these experiments, we only avoided rainy days and choose two different locations; Location A was a location with a good view, and Location B was a location surrounded by trees, but controlled no other environmental factor. The sound environments in both locations were evaluated as highly "Quiet" and "Easy to have a conversation" even though the noise level was over 60 dB, which is higher than in an ordinary office. Additionally, Location B with a noise level of 71-74 dB was evaluated better in some terms, such as "Motivating" and "Easy to focus on the work", than Location A with a noise level of 61-64 dB. In future work, we plan to conduct experiments to reveal the effect on subjective evaluation by some factors of "prospect-refuge" by Jay Appleton.

Kinematic Precise Point Positioning Performance-Based Cost-Effective Robot Localization System

The use of high-precision positioning systems in modern navigation applications is crucial since location data is one of the most important pieces of information in Industry 4.0, especially for robots operating outdoors. In the modernization process of global navigation satellite system (GNSS) positioning, precise point positioning (PPP) has demonstrated its effectiveness in comparison to traditional differential positioning methods over the past thirty years. However, various challenges hinder the integration of PPP techniques into Internet of Things (IoT) systems for robot localization, with accuracy being a primary concern. This accuracy is impacted by factors such as satellite availability and signal disruptions in outdoor environments, resulting in less precise determination of satellite observations. Effectively addressing various GNSS errors is crucial when collecting PPP observations. The paper investigates the trade-off between kinematic PPP accuracy and cost effectiveness, through the examination of various influencing factors, including the choice of GNSS system (single or mixed), observation type (single or dual frequency), and satellite geometry. This research investigates kinematic PPP accuracy variation on a 10.4 km observed track based on different factors, using the GNSS system (single or mixed), and observation type (single or dual frequency). It can be concluded that mixed (GPS/GLONASS) dual frequency offers a 3D position accuracy of 9 cm, while mixed single frequency offers a 3D position accuracy of 13 cm. In industry, the results enable manufacturers to select suitable robot localization solutions according to the outdoor working environment (number of available satellites), economical constraint (single or dual frequency), and 3D position accuracy.

Assessment of life quality and influencing factors in adults with atopic dermatitis in the Northeast of China

Atopic dermatitis (AD) affects patients’ quality of life (QOL) as well as their physical and mental health. Influencing factors of AD should be considered and minimized to the controllable range. In addition, exploring the intervention of psychiatric factors may provide new ideas for the treatment of AD. To investigate the QOL and its influencing factors in adult patients with AD, the physical and mental health of 133 AD patients in Changchun City, Jilin province, Northeast of China, was investigated by conducting online questionnaires from August 2020 to April 2022. The information about patients’ demographics, atopic comorbidities, and whether they were accompanied by anxiety and depression was collected. The Dermatology Life Quality Index and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale were used to assess their QOL, anxiety, depression, and psychological characteristics. Logistic regression was used to analyze their influencing factors. A total of 106 patients with valid response questionnaires were included. The survey results showed that the QOL was affected in 59.43% (63/106) of patients, while abnormal anxiety patients accounted for 8.49% (9/106) and abnormal depression patients accounted for 29.25% (31/106). Logistic regression showed that the QOL and anxiety of AD patients were not related to demographic characteristics such as age, sex, and atopic comorbidities. The risk factors of depression were middle school education or below (Wald = 4.679, P = 0.031) and outdoor working environment (Wald = 4.583, P = 0.032). Spearman’s rank-order correlation analysis of QOL, anxiety, and depression levels in dermatology showed two positive correlations (P < 0.01). AD affects patients’ QOL and has a serious negative psychological impact on patients. Dermatologists should be alert to mental symptoms when treating patients with AD.

Research on the Effectiveness of Modular Post Stations in Improving Conditions for Decent Work in Outdoor Working Environments

In the context of decent work being regarded as the eighth goal of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 8), unsafe, inconvenient, and uncomfortable outdoor working conditions have gradually highlighted the problem of decent work for outdoor workers. The purpose of this study is to explore the possible methods for providing decent work in outdoor public spaces and to verify the work framework by combining design and psychology. Firstly, by analyzing the current demand of outdoor workers for decent conditions for outdoor working environments, the status of relevant research and actual assistance, as well as the design status and trend of urban public facilities, the shortcomings of the existing research and designs were summarized, and a new design direction was proposed. Secondly, based on modular design theory, urban post stations for outdoor workers were designed to meet their basic needs, such as sunshade, rain protection, temporary rest, and so on. Finally, a structural equation model was constructed to evaluate the effectiveness of the modular post station in improving the sense of decency in the outdoor working environment through the decency scale and the scale of factors affecting it. The results showed that the requirements of the working environment had a significant positive impact on the sense of decency and that different environmental conditions had different significant degrees of impact on it. Therefore, the modular urban post station designed in this study can effectively improve the sense of decency by optimizing the working environment and meeting the basic needs of outdoor workers during work.

Particulate Matter and Adverse Respiratory Health Outcome: Exposure of Street Vendors in Kolkata city in India

Exposure to airborne particulates is a major occupational hazard especially for outdoor workers who spending time outdoors at ground level getting exposed to traffic fumes and roadside dust. Aim of this study was to assess respiratory health symptoms and determine the change of lung functions of the roadside vendors and its association with traffic-related exposures and their working experience. A cross-sectional study was conducted in key market places of Kolkata – Gariahat (GH), Esplanade-Park Street (EP), Shyambazar-Hatibagan (SH) and Behala (BE). Particulate (PM10 and PM2.5) levels and meteorological parameters (wind speed, temperature and relative humidity) were monitored in the morning, afternoon and night over the period of October 2019 to February 2020. Lung function status (FEV1, FVC, FEV1/FVC ratio and PEF) was measured for 111 purposively selected participants. PM concentration was observed higher in the morning and night peak hours for all sites. At SH area the average occupational exposure level for PM10 and PM2.5 were observed as 1502.22 μg/m3h and 684.01 μg/m3h. Percentage predicted FEV1 (%FEV1) of street vendors was found decreasing with their work experience and the worst-case scenario was observed in the EP area, with the corresponding value being 70.75%, 49.15% and 47.3% for less than 10 years, 10 to 20 years and more than 20 years participation respectively. The higher particulate burden was observed to have declining lung function status of the street vendors. A strong policy framework should be adopted to improve outdoor working environment for outdoor workers.

Sea Spray Icing: The Physical Process and Review of Prediction Models and Winterization Techniques

Abstract Ice accretion on marine vessels and offshore structures is a severe hazard in the Polar regions. There are increasing activities related to oil and gas exploration, tourism, cargo transport, and fishing in the Arctic. Ice accretion can cause vessel instability, excess load on marine structures, and represents a safety risk for outdoor working environment and operations. Freezing sea spray is the main contributor to marine icing. For safe operations in cold climates, it is essential to have verified models for the prediction of icing. Sea spray icing forecast models have improved. Empirical and theoretical models providing icing rates based may be useful as guidelines. For predicting the distribution of icing on a surface at the design stage, computational fluid dynamics has to be applied along with a freezing module. State-of-the-art models for numerical simulation of sea spray icing are still not fully capable of modeling complex ship-sea-wind interactions with spray generation and impact of shipped water. Existing models include a good understanding of spray flow effects and freezing. Further development should focus on developing models for dynamic ship-sea-wind interactions, in particular including spray generation, effects of shipped water, and distribution of icing on the vessel surface. More experimental and full-scale data are needed for the development and verification of new and improved models. Models that estimate ice distribution may improve the winterization design process and reduce the effort required for de-icing. Improved methods for de-icing and anti-icing will reduce the impact of sea spray icing and increase safety for marine operations in cold waters.

Face Temperature as an Indicator of Thermal Stress in Outdoor Work Environments

The frequency and duration of heatwaves are steadily increasing as climate change becomes more serious. These changes particularly endanger the health of those who must work outdoors in hot environments. This study introduces a novel approach to monitor the heat-health of airport outdoor workers using infrared thermography. The faces of airport workers who were refueling airplanes in extreme heat conditions were monitored using a thermal infrared thermometer during their work cycle throughout the day. Changes in temperature on their exposed faces (e.g., the ear, cheek, chin) were monitored throughout the day over a two-month period. In every test, the subject’s face temperature increased, then suddenly dropped for a short time, and then continued increasing. Subjects were also asked to assess their thermal perception of the work each time they were tested throughout the study. They reported that they felt discomfort in terms of thermal comfort when the facial skin temperature went down temporarily before the temperature rose. These results show that the physical measurement criteria when outdoor workers’ thermal health is in jeopardy can be based on the results of facial skin temperature measurements.

Multilevel Analysis of 24-Hour Blood Pressure, Heart Rate, and Associated Factors among Police Officers in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Background Due to long-hour outdoor working environment, policemen have been subjected to tremendous health risks including blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR). In tropical countries, the temperature is extremely harsh which may get peak at above 40 Celsius degrees or drops under 8 Celsius degrees. However, the existing data on the effects of weather variation on BP and HR among police task force has been scarce in Vietnam.Aims This study aimed to describe the variation of 24-hour BP and HR and identify factors associated with BP and HR for further appropriate interventions in order to reduce health risks from occupational exposure.Methods Multilevel regression analysis (MLRA) was applied with two levels of influent factors. 24-hour holter measured systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and HR values were the first level which should then be nested in the second level (individual). 24-hour temperature and humidity variations were extracted, respectively, from Hanoi Hydrometeorology Department. All individual characteristics and risk behaviours were measured within 24 studying hours.Results Temperature and humidity were major factors that influenced (74%-78%) the variation of BP and HR among the policemen population. When each of the Celsius degree temperature or percentage humidity increases, the SBP goes down by 0.44 (0.11-0.77) and by 0.2 (0.33-0.77), respectively, and the DBP goes down by 0.21 (-0.05-0.48) and by 0.12 (0.02-0.22), respectively, and vice versa. Interaction between temperature and humidity was significantly influent to SBP. The farther the time section from the first time section (0-6AM) the more the variation of the BP and HR. Transition from winter to summer made SBP and DBP decrease and vice versa. Individual characteristics including body mass index (BMI), bad life styles, and stress contributed 22% to 26% to the variation of BP and HR. Traffic policemen were at the greatest risks of the outdoor ambient variation in comparison with the firefighters and office-based policemen.Conclusion Designing and equipping appropriate uniform and outdoor facilities could help to reduce influence of temperature and humidity variation in the outdoor workplace. Besides, training and educating programs that aimed at controlling BMI, risk behaviours, and stress for police taskforce, especially the traffic policemen, should be implemented.

Wearable-Assisted Localization and Inspection Guidance System Using Egocentric Stereo Cameras

As industrial inspection and maintenance tasks in outdoor working environments are increasingly complex and flexible, wearable assistive system (WAS) has shown promising prospects, especially when the tasks are infrequent and unfamiliar to workers. Such tasks require more accurate and global ego-localization than using GPS. In this paper, a wearable-assisted navigation system is proposed for task-specific route guidance. This paper proposes to learn a global metric-topological abstract map of outdoor workspace using the combination of stereo cameras and inertial measurement units. An extended stereo visual simultaneous localization and mapping approach is proposed with optimization that deals with cross-session loop-closure detection and pose rectification for bounding estimation error as well as aligning the positions to global world frame. Thus, the system allows building and using globally consistent maps across sessions. A prototype of WAS is developed in which the augmentations of guidance are delivered to users via an optical see-through display. The system is evaluated by experiments designed as on-site inspection scenarios and the results validate the practicability and effectiveness of the system.

A Review of Heat Stress Policies in the Context of Climate Change and Its Impacts on Outdoor Workers

Record-breaking summer heat events are increasing in frequency in Zimbabwe and 2016 was a particularly hot year with the country experiencing its worst heat wave event in decades. Currently, Zimbabwe has no coordinated public health response to deal with heat wave events and no specific data on heat-related morbidity and mortality. The country has no legislation for protecting workers against environmental heat exposure, particularly those most vulnerable who are employed in the informal sector. These workers are also at risk due to their outdoor work environments. The article outlines the state of climate and heat stresses in Zimbabwe, as benchmarked against other African countries and France. It further summarizes outdoor workers' susceptibility to heat exposure and the need for the Zimbabwean Government to develop policies to ensure the health and safety of an increasing population of outdoor workers in Zimbabwe.

Mobile Robot Path Tracking Using Slip Estimation for Kinematics Information

This paper presents the advantages of kinematic model over the dynamics one to control the path of autonomous mobile robot in outdoor working environment since the kinematics model is easier to be sensed and calculated the inertial information. Certainly, global navigation satellite system receiver accompanied with conventional inertial measurement unit are used together, so-called INS, in order to compensate the limitation of each other. The slip angle is one of parameters that cannot be direct measured but with the measurement techniques using two antennas receiver, it can be estimated. Fuzzy logic control rule of determination is used for simply heuristic one in order to track the robot path. The results show the satisfactory of tracking path.

Work environments and HIV prevention: a qualitative review and meta-synthesis of sex worker narratives.

BackgroundSex workers (SWs) experience a disproportionately high burden of HIV, with evidence indicating that complex and dynamic factors within work environments play a critical role in mitigating or producing HIV risks in sex work. In light of sweeping policy efforts to further criminalize sex work globally, coupled with emerging calls for structural responses situated in labour and human-rights frameworks, this meta-synthesis of the qualitative and ethnographic literature sought to examine SWs’ narratives to elucidate the ways in which physical, social and policy features of diverse work environments influence SWs’ agency to engage in HIV prevention.MethodsWe conducted a meta-synthesis of qualitative and ethnographic studies published from 2008 to 2014 to elucidate SWs’ narratives and lived experiences of the complex and nuanced ways in which physical, social, and policy features of indoor and outdoor work environments shape HIV prevention in the sex industry.ResultsTwenty-four qualitative and/or ethnographic studies were included in this meta-synthesis. SWs’ narratives revealed the nuanced ways that physical, social, and policy features of work environments shaped HIV risk and interacted with macrostructural constraints (e.g., criminalization, stigma) and community determinants (e.g., sex worker empowerment initiatives) to shape SWs’ agency in negotiating condom use. SWs’ narratives revealed the ways in which the existence of occupational health and safety standards in indoor establishments, as well as protective practices of third parties (e.g., condom promotion) and other SWs/peers were critical ways of enhancing safety and sexual risk negotiation within indoor work environments. Additionally, working in settings where negative interactions with law enforcement were minimized (e.g., working in decriminalized contexts or environments in which peers/managers successfully deterred unjust policing practices) was critical for supporting SWs’ agency to negotiate HIV prevention.ConclusionsPolicy reforms to remove punitive approaches to sex work, ensure supportive workplace standards and policies, and foster SWs’ ability to work collectively are recommended to foster the realization of SWs’ health and human rights across diverse settings. Future qualitative and mixed-methods research is recommended to ensure that HIV policies and programmes are grounded in SWs’ voices and realities, particularly in more under-represented regions such as Eastern Europe and Sub-Saharan Africa.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12889-015-2491-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Evaluating the impacts of high-temperature outdoor working environments on construction labor productivity in China: A case study of rebar workers

The purpose of this study is to provide industry practitioners with a better understanding of the impacts of high-temperature conditions on construction labor productivity. Such information could assist in the establishment of plans to prevent heat-stress injuries and help improve the safety and comfort of construction labor working environments. On-site WBGT (Wet Bulb Globe Temperature) data and labor productivity data related to direct work time, indirect work time and idle time were measured for two construction projects involving 16 rebar workers in the summer of 2014 in Beijing, China. The period from 14:00 to 15:00 was identified as the most hazardous for workers throughout the day, and the period from 07:00 to 09:00 was identified as the least hazardous time. Productivity models were further used to analyze the collected data. The model results demonstrated that high-temperature environments decrease labor productivity, with the percentage of direct work time decreasing by 0.57% and the percentage of idle time increasing by 0.74% when the WBGT increased by 1 °C. Moreover, the percentage of direct work time increased by 0.33% when the workers' experience increased by 1 year and decreased by 0.72% when the workers' age increased by 1 year. Overall, the results demonstrated that high-temperature environments impose heat stress on the human body and decreases labor productivity in the construction industry.

A survey on the use of respirators among dust workers in outdoor working environments

The aim of this survey was to clarify the current status of the use of respirators among dust workers in outdoor working environments. The participants were 38 male workers exposed to dust, who were engaged in arc welding or quarrying in outdoor working environments. We interviewed participants about wearing and storage of respirators on site. The participants were asked 9 questions about the selection, use, fitness, maintenance, storage, and instruction in the use of respirators. The results of this study show that all participants wore the approved dust respirators, even though it is not legally necessary to wear a respirator in outdoor working environments. Instruction about the use of respirators was found to be effective regarding inspection of the valve and headband, the fitness between the facepiece and face, the time of wearing, and storage place. However, the interviews revealed that there was insufficient knowledge about the reasons for and frequency of filter replacement. Compared to our preliminary study, the use of a knitcover decreased from 73% to 21%. These findings suggest that workers should be given better information on the selection, use, maintenance, and storage place of respirators to protect workers against dust exposure.

양돈작업자의 개인보호구 개발을 위한 소비자 인식조사

Objectives: A field survey was conducted in a hog-raising industry in order to help develop personal protective equipment for workers which would secure the safety and the health of these workers. The attempt by this study will help enhance safety in the livestock industry and contribute to the advancement of the industry. Method: The study first selected a total of 111 workers from the hog-raising industry as research participants and designed a survey with questions on general characteristics, indoor and outdoor working environments, how the workers would in practice wear or purchase the working clothes, what needs to be improved in these new working clothes, how much the workers would be likely to accept the working clothes and protective equipment, and lastly, conditions of the communicable disease control overgarment. The collected data underwent frequency analysis and cross analysis with SPSS 21.0. Result: The research targets' average age was 50 years. Work efficiency by environmental factor was normal, but all age groups had experience of accidents (79.3%). Major wounded parts were under elbow and under knee. Protective equipment most commonly worn was helmet (83.4%), gloves (98.2%) and boots (99.1%), and satisfaction with them was normal at 3.41. Working clothing most commonly worn was old clothing (31.8%) and everyday wear (17.6%) and satisfaction with it was low. Considering the improvement of working clothing, they required attached pouches, elasticity and deodorization. The acceptability of improved working clothing was high at 69.2%. Conclusion: After problems have been addressed in relevant future research, what has been learned from the concerned study will be referred to as a useful basic reference when the relevant field works to develop high-quality working clothing and protective equipment for workers in the hog-raising industry.

ALLERGIC CONTACT DERMATITIS FROM FORMALDEHYDE EXPOSURE

Formaldehyde is a ubiquitous chemical agent, a part of our outdoor and indoor working and residential environment. Healthcare workers in difficult occupations are among the most affected by formaldehyde exposure. Formaldehyde is an ingredient of some dental materials. Formaldehyde is well-known mucous membrane irritant and a primary skin sensitizing agent associated with both contact dermatitis (Type IV allergy), and immediate, anaphylactic reactions (Type I allergy). Inhalation exposure to formaldehyde was identified as a potential cause of asthma. Quite a few investigations are available concerning health issues for dental students following formaldehyde exposure. Such studies would be beneficial for early diagnosis of hypersensitivity, adequate prophylactic, risk assessment and management of their work.

플랜트 기자재 업체의 효율적인 작업장 운영을 위한 실시간 모니터링 시스템 개발 및 적용

This study describes a real-time location monitoring system developed for efficient operation of workplace in plant equipment maker. This monitoring system can be applied for indoor and outdoor working environment respectively. By using the real-time tracking system based on RTLS, it is possible to track worker`s movement and location of working object under indoor working environment. For outdoor working environment, the real-time monitoring system based on IDGPS is applied for work safety and balanced workload. A case study is provided to evaluate the performance of the real-time monitoring system.

Heat Stress Standard for Hot Work Environments in Japan

Threshold limit values (TLVs) are intended to protect workers from the severest effects of thermal stress and to establish the exposures to heat in working conditions. Earlier, acute heat strokes often occurred as a result of working in hot environments in Japan. However, acute heat strokes recently sometimes occurred in outdoor work environments such as industrial constructions and agriculture. Seasonal variations in weather are significant and the climatic conditions vary. The criteria are mainly set for working in mines, factories, and so on. WBGT is a useful evaluation index for hot environments; however, it is not commonly used for work practices. WBGT could be calculated and should be commonly used as a standard during summer. Japan mainly has a very hot and humid climate during summer. With regard to the thermal standard for offices, humidity also creates a problem in the indoor thermal conditions. Therefore, it is better to decide the TLVs of the thermal conditions according to seasons and activity levels. Inadequate thermal stress may cause discomfort and adversely affect the performance, safety, and harm to health. Further, thermal factors in the work environment must be measured and evaluated under light workload conditions like desk work for safety and work efficiency.

Lifting Performed on Laterally Slanted Ground Surfaces

Many outdoor work environments (e.g. agriculture and construction) require manual material handling activities on variable grade ground surfaces. Quantifying biomechanical responses for lifting under these conditions may provide insight into the etiology of lifting-related injuries. The aim of the current study was to quantify the effect of laterally slanted ground surfaces on biomechanical responses. Ten subjects performed lifting exertions (using a 40% of max load) while standing on a platform that was laterally tilted at 0, 10, 20 and 30 degrees from horizontal. During the lifting tasks the whole body kinematics were collected, which were later used in a dynamic biomechanical model to calculate the time-dependent moment about L5/S1 and the time-dependent lateral forces acting on the body segments. The results showed a consistent reduction in the peak dynamic L5/S1 moment (decreased by 9%) and an increase in the lateral forces (increased by 111%) with increasing slant angle.

The Effect of a Repetitive, Fatiguing Lifting Task on Horizontal Ground Reaction Forces

There are many outdoor work environments that involve the combination of repetitive, fatiguing lifting tasks and less-than-optimal footing (muddy/slippery ground surfaces). The focus of the current research was to evaluate the effects of lifting-induced fatigue of the low back extensors on lifting kinematics and ground reaction forces. Ten participants performed a repetitive lifting task over a period of 8 minutes. As they performed this task, the ground reaction forces and whole body kinematics were captured using a force platform and magnetic motion tracking system, respectively. Fatigue was verified in this experiment by documenting a decrease in the median frequency of the bilateral erector spinae muscles (pretest-posttest). Results indicate significant (p < 0.05) increases in the magnitude of the peak anterior/posterior (increased by an average of 18.3%) and peak lateral shear forces (increased by an average of 24.3%) with increasing time into the lifting bout. These results have implications for work environments such as agriculture and construction, where poor footing conditions and requirements for considerable manual materials handling may interact to create an occupational scenario with an exceptionally high risk of a slip and fall.