Effect of Ventilated Work Wear and Working Schedule on Physiological and Psychological Responses of Construction Workers

Abstract

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.