Outdoor Workplaces Research Articles

Editorial Note

Abstract This Special Issue (SI) on Advanced Data Analytics and Technologies for Decoding Human Health & Well-being in Built Environments that comes to partial closure in this issue is a necessary first step in a larger and longer conversation centered on the well-being of the people within built environments. The discussion started in 2022 with an International Workshop in Nottingham, UK, funded by the US National Science Foundation. The workshop, titled “Biosensing-enabled, Wellbeing-Centric Sustainable Built Environment Ecosystems,” covers the topics of human health and well-being, and the use of data and building energy technologies were discussed amply by a group of experts from the US and the UK. Fundamental questions in this conversation include how it may be possible to measure and quantify human well-being in different contexts of indoor and outdoor environments, workplaces, or health centers and how technology at different scales and components, from the individual scale to the outdoor, community environments, can enable a reasonable state of well-being.

Interdisciplinary approach to defining outdoor places of knowledge work: quantified photo analysis.

Working outdoors is an emerging, sparsely studied phenomenon in knowledge work. Office tasks have traditionally been considered to belong to indoor environments. The worldwide pandemic of COVID-19 has increased and changed attitudes toward multilocational working. The aim of this method study is 2-fold: first to define for interdisciplinary context outdoor environments when they are used as places of outdoor knowledge work and second to quantify the thematic photo analysis to support interdisciplinary understanding of the places of outdoor knowledge work. The review of literature has been one of the methods to support the interdisciplinary approach of this article. The photographs of outdoor knowledge workplaces and views from the workstations are studied through photo analysis customized from the existing press photograph analysis. First, we defined outdoor environments when used as places of outdoor knowledge work, as unconditioned outdoor or semi-outdoor places (opposite to closed indoor spaces with stable, conditioned indoor climate) providing favorable action possibilities as sources of comfort and mitigating unfavorable conditions, for example, by microclimatic solutions. Instead of defining all spaces as outdoor environments not fulfilling a stable indoor climate (conditioned) definition, adaptation to thermal and physical environments also brought semi-outdoor space into the definition. In this context, favorable latent action possibilities (affordance) in the built environment are often related to microclimate as a source of comfort. Second, we focussed on photo analysis. The proposed model is based on journalistic photo analysis PPSA and the pOKW model, which have been further developed in this study to pOKW2 model for analyzing mobile-based collected self-reported photographs by the occupants. In this pOKW2 model, the photographs would have time-location information enabling the combining of data from other datasets and thereby reducing the number of characteristics to be analyzed from the photograph. We proposed rating (in numeric form) to detect the favorable and unfavorable characteristics in the photographs most likely supporting or hindering conditions of outdoor knowledge work. This quantification would enable the use of machine vision analysis and would support handling large quantities of photographs and their combination with other datasets in interdisciplinary research. The quantification of the photo analysis (pOKW2) includes the readiness to combine the analysis results with other time-location-specific datasets in an interdisciplinary research collaboration to advance our understanding of latent action possibilities for outdoor knowledge work.

Development of a parametric optimization concept for the sun control of the outdoor spaces: the case study of 5A business park, Cairo, Egypt

PurposeComfortable outdoor workspaces are important for employees in business parks and urban areas. Prioritizing a pleasant thermal environment is essential for employee productivity, as well as the improvement of outdoor spaces between office buildings to enhance social activities and quality of outdoor workplaces in a hot arid climate has been subjected to very little studies Thus, this study focuses on business parks (BPs) landscape elements. The objective of this study is to enhance the user's thermal comfort in the work environment, especially in the outdoors attached to the administrative and office buildings such as the BPs.Design/methodology/approachThis research follows Four-phases methodology. Phase 1 is the investigation of the literature review including the Concept and consideration of BP urban planning, Achieving outdoor thermal comfort (OTC) and shading elements analysis. Phase 2 is the case study initial analysis targeting for prioritizing zones for shading involves three main methods: social assessment, geometrical assessment and environmental assessment. Phase 3 entails selecting shading elements that are suitable for the zones requiring shading parametrize the selected shading elements. Phase 4 focuses on the optimization of OTC through shading arrangements for the prioritized zones.FindingsShading design is a multidimensional process that requires consideration of various factors, including social aspects, environmental impact and structural integrity. Shading elements in urban areas play a crucial role in mitigating heat stress by effectively shielding surfaces from solar radiation. The integration of parametric design and computational optimization techniques enhances the shading design process by generating a wide range of alternative solutions.Research limitations/implicationsWhile conducting this research, it is important to acknowledge certain limitations that may affect the generalizability and scope of the findings. One significant limitation lies in the use of the shade audit method as a tool to prioritize zones for shading. Although the shade audit approach offers practical benefits for designers compared to using questionnaires, it may have its own inherent biases or may not capture the full complexity of human preferences and needs.Originality/valueFew studies have focused on optimizing the type and location of devices that shade outdoor spaces. As a result, there is no consensus on the workflow that should regulate the design of outdoor shading installations in terms of microclimate and human thermal comfort, therefore testing parametric shading scenarios for open spaces between office buildings to increase the benefit of the outer environment is very important. The study synthesizes OTC strategies by filling the research gap through the implementation of a proper workflow that utilizes parametric thermal comfort.

New Evaluation Method of Exposure to Radon Gas in Mining Environments

Physical and chemical agents in workplace environments can be hazardous for employees. Much of the exposure to ionizing radiation can occur due to the presence of radon in the workplace. Mining environments are more susceptible to containing radon gas because it emanates from soil or rocks. Radon is known to be associated with lung cancer as it is a gaseous chemical agent under normal conditions and is also radioactive. Since there is little knowledge about radon in Brazilian mining workplaces, this study aims to measure occupational exposure to radon in mining environments through a proposed methodology and to verify its compliance with international standards to confirm the potential risk of exposure for employees. Radon concentration in open-pit mining work environments was measured and used as a basis for comparison to assess the proposed new evaluation method, which will consist of laboratory evaluations of samples taken from the same workplaces. The radon concentration data in the work environments were compared to laboratory tests for statistical correlation. The results, compared to reference values, tolerance limits, and action levels, showed that radon, in outdoor mining workplaces, can be considered a low risk to employees’ health. The application of the methodology also indicated that the laboratory tests and the field evaluations presented a statistical correlation with each other, being an indication that the laboratory tests can be used to estimate the risks in a preliminary way. Another important point is the fact that it was observed that measurements in the laboratory were more practical and faster to perform when compared to field evaluations. These facts can bring future gains in the number of tests performed and workplace evaluated in mining environments.

Research on Safety Helmet Detection Algorithm Based on Improved YOLOv5s.

Safety helmets are essential in various indoor and outdoor workplaces, such as metallurgical high-temperature operations and high-rise building construction, to avoid injuries and ensure safety in production. However, manual supervision is costly and prone to lack of enforcement and interference from other human factors. Moreover, small target object detection frequently lacks precision. Improving safety helmets based on the helmet detection algorithm can address these issues and is a promising approach. In this study, we proposed a modified version of the YOLOv5s network, a lightweight deep learning-based object identification network model. The proposed model extends the YOLOv5s network model and enhances its performance by recalculating the prediction frames, utilizing the IoU metric for clustering, and modifying the anchor frames with the K-means++ method. The global attention mechanism (GAM) and the convolutional block attention module (CBAM) were added to the YOLOv5s network to improve its backbone and neck networks. By minimizing information feature loss and enhancing the representation of global interactions, these attention processes enhance deep learning neural networks' capacity for feature extraction. Furthermore, the CBAM is integrated into the CSP module to improve target feature extraction while minimizing computation for model operation. In order to significantly increase the efficiency and precision of the prediction box regression, the proposed model additionally makes use of the most recent SIoU (SCYLLA-IoU LOSS) as the bounding box loss function. Based on the improved YOLOv5s model, knowledge distillation technology is leveraged to realize the light weight of the network model, thereby reducing the computational workload of the model and improving the detection speed to meet the needs of real-time monitoring. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed model outperforms the original YOLOv5s network model in terms of accuracy (Precision), recall rate (Recall), and mean average precision (mAP). The proposed model may more effectively identify helmet use in low-light situations and at a variety of distances.

12 A Review of Factors Influencing Passive Sampler Performance in Outdoor Workplaces with a Focus on Benzene

Abstract Passive or diffusion samplers have become standard tools for exposure and compliance testing despite their limited accuracy of 25-30%. Passive samplers have several advantages over active/pumped samplers, notably ease of use, low cost and inherent explosion safety. EN 838 advises their use for personal sampling at up to 4 m/s, but with a minimum of 0.1 m/s. Considerable underestimations were found in a set of passive sampler results compared to pumped samplers for BTEX. A literature review of laboratory and field studies was performed to investigate theoretical explanations for the discrepancies found. Based on results published in journals an underestimation of concentration by passive samplers is not uncommon, although usually the difference is within an acceptable range. Temperature and relative humidity have known, quantifiable effects, which are fairly small. High wind speed theoretically causes increased, not decreased, uptake due to smaller diffusion distances. This effect was confirmed experimentally, both in wind tunnels and in field studies, according to literature. Real-time monitoring in company operations shows that personal exposure in outdoor scenarios often fluctuates strongly with short peaks over periods of seconds rather than minutes. Theoretically this may influence uptake by diffusion samplers depending on their design and some researchers do report that passive samplers work less well under such conditions. Further research into passive sampler performance in fast fluctuating conditions as found in the field appears necessary.

Trabalho a céu aberto: passado, presente e futuro sobre exposição ocupacional ao calor

Abstract Given the current climate change and high-temperature impact on human health, especially due to global warming, actions for heat prevention focused on outdoor workers are relevant. This essay presents the results of recent research and highlights technological innovations for heat monitoring in Brazil. Also, it reflects on the future of outdoor work given climate change. Outdoor work is generally characterized as heavy, leading to higher metabolic heat production. However, Occupational Safety and Health have made few efforts to find alternatives to minimize or eliminate heat impact on workers. Moreover, the worker’s protection alternatives are reduced. WBGT Monitor is presented as a technological innovation for remote heat monitoring in outdoor environments. Despite the control measures provided to workers subjected to heat, global warming demands innovative interventions and special exposure controls at outdoor workplaces. Thus, an increased commitment to knowledge production to elaborate or improve public policy is desirable.

Nano-pollution: Why it should worry us.

Nanoparticles are immensely diverse both in terms of quality and sources of emission into the environment. Nowadays, nanotechnologies are developing and growing at a rapid pace without specific rules and regulations, leading to a severe effect on environment and affecting the labours in outdoor and indoor workplaces. The continue and enormous use of NPs for industrial and commercial purposes, has put a pressing need to think whether the increasing use of these NPs could overcome the severe environmental effects and unknown human health risks. Only a few studies have been carried out to assess the toxic effect of these NPs resulting from their direct or indirect exposure. There is in an increasing clamour to consider environmental implications of NPs and to monitor the outcome of NP during use in biological testing. There remain many open questions for consideration. An adequate research is required to determine the real toxic effect of these NPs on environment and human health. In this review, we have discussed the negative effects of NPs on environment and biosphere at large and the future research required.

Prevention of Falls from Heights in Construction Using an IoT System Based on Fuzzy Markup Language and JFML

The main cause of fatal accidents in the construction sector are falls from height (FFH) and the inappropriate use of a harness is commonly associated with these fatalities. Traditional methods, such as onsite inspections, safety communication, or safety training, are not enough to mitigate accidents caused by FFH associated with a poor management in the use of a harness. Although some technological solutions for the automated monitoring of workers could improve safety conditions, their use is not frequent due to the particularities of construction sites: complexity, dynamic environments, outdoor workplaces, etc. Then, the integration of expert knowledge with technology is a key issue. Fuzzy logic systems (FLS) and Internet of Things (IoT) present many potential benefits, such as real-time decisions being made based on FLS and data from sensors. In the current research, the development and test of an IoT system integrated with the Java Fuzzy Markup Language Library for FLS, to support experts’ decision making in FFH, is proposed. The proposal was checked in four construction scenarios based on working conditions with different levels of risk of FFH and obtained promising results.

Modeling and investigating the effect of parasol installation on solar radiant temperature reduction using COMSOL Multiphysics

Objectives. Occupational activities in open spaces can experience excessive heat exposure caused by sunlight and other artificial sources in these professional environments can be one of the current and future challenges of occupational safety and health due to increasing global warming. Use of lightweight portable parasols is the first available control measure to reduce the radiation emitted by the sun in outdoor workplaces, which has been used for a long time. Methods. Due to the lack of study and results on the effect of using parasols in scientific literature, this modeling study was conducted to investigate the effect of sunshade installation on radiant temperature reduction of the sun in outdoor work using COMSOL Multiphysics version 5.5. Results. In general, six different shapes of portable parasols in different positions were modeled and the average radiant temperature reduction effectiveness (TRE) was about 30% in the presence of different parasols. The designed conical, simple and pyramidal sunshades showed the most effectiveness, respectively. Conclusions. The results show that changing variables such as the axis, installation height and shape is more effective for improving parasol efficiency to reduce the radiant temperature below it.

Visualization of Dust Generation in Outdoor Workplaces Using A Wearable Particle Monitor and Global Navigation Satellite System.

We manufactured a wearable particle monitor (WPM), which is a simple and low-cost dust monitor. We aimed to evaluate the usefulness of the device by using it and location information of a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) to measure dust generation in outdoor workplaces. We used nine WPMs and a particle counter KC-52 to measure in parallel the dust concentration diffusing standard particles in a dust exposure apparatus to evaluate the measurability of the WPM, and visualized dust generation in outdoor workplaces to evaluate its usability. We obtained location information using a GNSS in parallel with measuring with the WPM. The measured values of the WPM followed the measured values of the KC-52, with a strong correlation of the values between the KC-52 and each WPM. The discrepancy among devices tended to increase, however, because the measured values of the WPMs increased. For outdoor measurements, we could create a heat map of the relative values of dust generation by combining two data of the WPM and the GNSS. The methods of using the WPM could overview the conditions needed to produce dust emissions in dust-generating workplaces.

Glare at Outdoor Workplaces—An Underestimated Factor of Occupational Risk

Lighting is an integral aspect of electrical engineering and public safety, as buildings, public areas—both indoors and outdoors—or any type of workplace must be illuminated in a way to prevent accidents. The sensation of glare, in particular, plays an important role in visual comfort and consequently influences occupational risk. The aim of this article is to draw attention to the problem of glare at outdoor workplaces. We have carried out an assessment of glare at outdoor workplaces in 19 different industrial plants. At 20 task areas (21.5% of the 93 examined) the determined degree of glare exceeded the limits specified in the standard. In eight categories of industrial plants (66.7% of 12 examined) defined in the standard, there was at least one task area where the requirements of the standard in terms of glare limitation were not met. The presented analysis leaves no doubt about drawing the conclusion that glare at outdoor workplaces is mostly underestimated or simply neglected, although it could cause high risk in workplaces.

Evaluation of outdoor thermal comfort under different building external-wall-surface with different reflective directional properties using CFD analysis and model experiment

Recently, urban heat island (UHI) has become more intense due to the increase in artificial constructions in cities. In addition, in many office buildings in big cities in Japan, except for indoor workplaces, some outdoor workplaces that surround a building are provided to improve people productivity. Therefore, a comfortable outdoor thermal environment is considered as an important topic. As one of the countermeasures for mitigating the UHI phenomenon, highly reflective (HR) materials are applied to external-wall surfaces of buildings to increase the solar reflectivity of the external-wall surface to finally reduce the heat emitted from the building external walls. These applied HR materials mainly possess diffuse HR (DHR) directional properties. In recent years, retro-reflective (RR) materials have been studied to replace the traditional DHR materials for possible application in building facades. The present study aims to use the computational-fluid-dynamics (CFD) analysis to predict the outdoor thermal environment, including air temperature (Ta), wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT), and standard effective temperature (SET*) under two different building-facade types (DHR and RR properties). To further analyze the effect of DHR and RR building facades on the thermal environment, in addition to evaluating the three thermal-environment indicators ( Ta , WBGT, and SET*), this study evaluates two outdoor radiation-environment indicators, including sol-air temperature (SAT) and change operative temperature (COT) using an actual facade-model experiment. The results show that the RR building facade are more effective in reducing WBGT, SET*, SAT, and COT. • Determined the reflective directional property of RR materials using our developed optical apparatus. • Simulated urban blocks with different reflective directional building facades (DHR and RR). • Used computational-fluid-dynamics analysis to evaluate the outdoor thermal environmental factors. • Implemented a facade experiment to investigate the effect of DHR and RR facades on outdoor environment. • Demonstrated that RR facade was more effective in reducing the environmental factors, WBGT, SET*, SAT, and COT.

Toxic Organic Contaminants in Airborne Particles: Levels, Potential Sources and Risk Assessment.

In the last years, many studies have focused on risk assessment of exposure of workers to airborne particulate matter (PM). Several studies indicate a strong correlation between PM and adverse health outcomes, as a function of particle size. In the last years, the study of atmospheric particulate matter has focused more on particles less than 10 μm or 2.5 μm in diameter; however, recent studies identify in particles less than 0.1 μm the main responsibility for negative cardiovascular effects. The present paper deals with the determination of 66 organic compounds belonging to six different classes of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in the ultrafine, fine and coarse fractions of PM (PM < 0.1 µm; 0.1 < PM < 2.5 µm and 2.5 < PM < 10 µm) collected in three outdoor workplaces and in an urban outdoor area. Data obtained were analyzed with principal component analysis (PCA), in order to underline possible correlation between sites and classes of pollutants and characteristic emission sources. Emission source studies are, in fact, a valuable tool for both identifying the type of emission source and estimating the strength of each contamination source, as useful indicator of environment healthiness. Moreover, both carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks were determined in order to estimate human health risk associated to study sites. Risk analysis was carried out evaluating the contribution of pollutant distribution in PM size fractions for all the sites. The results highlighted significant differences between the sites and specific sources of pollutants related to work activities were identified. In all the sites and for all the size fractions of PM both carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risk values were below acceptable and safe levels of risks recommended by the regulatory agencies.

Toxic Effects of Nanoparticles from Environment and Indoor / Outdoor Workplaces

Toxic Effects of Nanoparticles from Environment and Indoor / Outdoor Workplaces

Outdoor air pollution from industrial chemicals causing new onset of asthma or COPD: a systematic review protocol

BackgroundUntil today, industrial sources contribute to the multifaceted contamination of environmental air. Exposure to air pollutants has the potential to initiate and promote asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). At global scale, both entities cause the majority of about 4 million annual deaths by respiratory disease. However, we identified industrial contamination as a subgroup of air pollution that may be associated with this burden and is underinvestigated in research. Therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate associations between substances industrially released into environmental air and the occurrence of asthma and COPD in the human population. Here we present the protocol for our systematic review of the current evidence.MethodsThe following determinations will be applied during the systematic review process and are specified in the protocol that complies with the PRISMA-P statement. Populations of children and adults, as well as outdoor workers, exposed to industrially released air pollutants are of interest. Eligible studies may include subjects as controls who are non- or less exposed to the investigated air pollutants. The outcomes new-onset asthma and/or COPD investigated with risk ratio, odds ratio, hazard ratio, incidence rate ratio, cumulative incidence, and incidence rate are eligible. We will search the electronic literature databases EMBASE, MEDLINE, and Web of Science for peer-reviewed reports of incidence studies and incidence case-control studies. After systematic sorting of initial records, included studies will be subjected to quality assessment. Data will be synthesized qualitatively and, if appropriate, quantitatively for risk ratio and odds ratio. We will maintain and provide a PRISMA report.DiscussionResults of this systematic review may indicate alterations of incidence and risk of asthma and/or COPD in populations within industrial exposure radiuses including outdoor workplaces. Specific causal substances and compositions will be identified, but results will depend on the exposure assessment of the eligible studies. Our approach covers effects of industrial contributions to overall air pollution if studies reportedly attribute investigated emissions to industry. Results of this study may raise the question wether the available higher-level evidence sufficiently covers the current scale of industrial exposure scenarios and their potential harm to respiratory health.Trial registrationThis protocol was registered in PROSPERO, registration number CRD42020151573.

Prevalence of Heat-Related Illnesses among Outdoor Workplaces Workers in Hot and Dry Areas of Iran

The risk of heat-related illnesses (HRI) is very high in outdoor workers. Given that there are a large number of outdoor workers in areas of Iran and there is no comprehensive information on HRI among these workers in the risky workplace. Aim of the study is prevalence of HRI among outdoor workplaces workers in hot and dry areas of Iran. This cross-sectional study carried out among 1800 that randomly selected from outdoor workplaces workers in hot and dry cities of Iran in 2019. Data was collected by researcher-made questionnaire containing questions about information about the participants’ demography and lifestyle; behavior modification during heat; knowledge about HRI; health status of the workplace; type of HRI symptoms in the Sumer 2019; job properties; and individual factors. Then, data analysis was performed using SPSS software version 19. 76.2 % of the participants reported experiencing one or more HRI symptoms that 36% of them were related to headache. HRI is highest prevalence in agricultural workers (37%). HRI symptom are significantly associated with age, work experience, type of working clothes, and ratio of rest/work (p&lt;0.001). Results showed that reducing rest time and water consumption increased the prevalence of HRI (p&lt;0.001). Prevalence of HRI is very high in among outdoor workplace workers in hot and dry areas of Iran, especially agriculture workers. Headache is most prevalence in the workers. Finally, consideration of working clothes, water consumption, and ratio of rest/work have an important role in reducing of HRI.

Modeling heat stress changes based on wet-bulb globe temperature in respect to global warming.

This ecological study aims to model the trend of changes in exposure of outdoor workers to heat stress in outdoors in the coming decades with the use of the Wet-Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT), Hadley Coupled Atmosphere- Ocean General Circulation Model, version 3 (HADCM3), and Long Ashton Research Station Weather Generator (LARS-WG) in Tehran, Iran, considering the climate change and the global warming. The hourly values of environmental parameters including minimum and maximum air temperature, relative humidity, precipitation and radiation related to Prakash , Shahriar and Damavand cities were obtained from the Meteorological Organization of Iran. These data were recorded during 1965 to 2015. The climate modeling was done for 2011-2030, 2046-2065, and 2080-2099. The minimum and maximum air temperatures in the different months of the year in the three studied cities show an increasing trend. Our finding shows that the WBGT will be increased by 2099. In Pakdasht, this index will be close to the danger zone in the coming years, especially in 2080-2099. All the results obtained indicate an increase in risk of heat stress in outdoor workplaces, given the global warming.

Applicability of the model presented by Australian Bureau of Meteorology to determine WBGT in outdoor workplaces: A case study

The present study was aimed to investigate the applicability of the model presented by Australian Bureau of Meteorology (ABM) to determine the WBGT index recommended by the ISO in outdoor workplaces. This cross-sectional study was carried out on 12 construction materials mines in three districts of Tehran Province, Iran with different climatic conditions. The physiological parameters of all workers (175 men) and environmental variables at 33 work stations were monitored simultaneously at 9 am, 12 pm and 15. According to ISO 7243, heat stress was measured by the formula and also the WBGT index was calculated based on the model presented by the ABM. A significant relationship was found between measured and calculated values of WBGT in the three mentioned periods (P < .001) and the highest correlation was observed at 12 pm (r = 0.931). The significant relationships were observed between heat stress indices and all physiological parameters (P < .05). The highest correlation was found between the parameters of the oral temperature, tympanic temperature and the HR with measured and calculated WBGT, respectively (P < .05). simplicity, no need for sophisticated measuring equipment, and low cost can make the model a screening tool for assessing occupational heat stress in the studied outdoor mines.

Heat-related injuries in Australian workplaces: Perspectives from health and safety representatives

IntroductionHot weather poses occupational health and safety concerns for people working in hot environments. It is known that work-related injuries increase during hot weather, yet there is an incomplete understanding of the underlying factors. MethodsA national online survey was conducted in Australia among health and safety representatives (HSRs) to better understand factors contributing to heat-related injuries in workplaces. Risk factors and preventive measures associated with reported injuries were identified using log-poisson regression models. ResultsIn total, 222 HSRs completed the survey. Overall, 43% reported that injuries or incidents caused by hot/very humid weather occur sometimes or often in their workplace. Factors found to be associated with reported heat-related injuries included ‘the wearing of personal protective equipment (PPE)’ which can hinder the loss of body heat, and ‘inadequate resources and facilities’. ‘Piece-rate workers’ and ‘new workers’ were identified as being at high risk. The most frequently adopted preventive measures for outdoor and indoor workers were the provision of PPE (despite some identified issues) and access to cool drinking water. HSRs reported that less injuries occurred in hot weather among outdoor workers if work was rescheduled to cooler times and shade was provided; and in indoor environments where there was adequate ventilation, heat sources were shielded and workers were able to self-pace. ConclusionOrganisational issues, workplace hazards, personal factors and preventive measures, are all determinants of heat-related injuries in Australian workplaces. Wider adoption of identified prevention measures could reduce the incidence of heat-related injuries in outdoor and indoor workplaces.