Although the use of cooling garments to prevent heat disorders has been increasing, the effectiveness of such garments at construction sites (CSs) remains underexplored. We investigated the relationship between the thermal environment at a CS and the physiological and psychological responses of workers wearing/not wearing ventilated work wear (VWW). The study participants were rebar placers and form workers employed at an outdoor CS. The thermal environmental conditions and the physiological and psychological responses of the workers were measured. The overall, chest, and forearm skin temperatures of the workers not wearing VWW were significantly higher than those of workers wearing VWW. To clarify the effects of VWW and working schedules on body weight loss (BWL), the BWL rate was simulated based on the evaporation rate according to a regression formula of measured data in an artificial chamber. The BWL during the late shift was higher than that in the early shift, causing dehydration in the afternoon. To prevent this condition, more water intake is required during the late shift.

To extract the effects of air-conditioned wear (ACW), we carried out experiments to measure the physiological and psychological responses of workers performing simulated construction work in an artificial climate chamber at controlled room temperatures of 29 and 34. The workers wore ACW or not. The effects of wearing ACW on skin temperature, sublingual temperatures, sweat rate and heart rate were significant only at 34. We propose that the heart rate varies due to sweat content of clothing reflecting dehydration which varies significantly depending on environmental temperature and whether or not the worker is wearing ACW.

To decrease the number of casualties due to heatstroke, we studied the effects of air-conditioned wear (ACW) and the differences of working hours between morning and afternoon on the physiological and psychological responses of construction workers in summer. The effects of ACW on both the psychological and physiological responses such as skin and tympanic temperature of workers at outdoor construction site were significantly estimated. The differences between the skin and tympanic temperatures of workers at indoor construction site with and without ACW were so small, that the only significant differences between those with and without ACW were psychological responses.

We investigated the relationship between the thermal environment at a construction site and the physiological and psychological responses of workers wearing/not wearing ventilated work wear (VWW). The overall, chest and forearm skin temperatures of the workers not wearing VWW were significantly higher than those of workers wearing VWW. To clarify the effects of VWW and working schedules on body weight loss (BWL), the rate of BWL was simulated based on the evaporation rate according to a regression formula of measured data in an artificial chamber. Increased BWL during the late compared with the early shift causes dehydration in the afternoon.