Occupational Heat Stress Profiles in Selected Workplaces in India

Abstract

Health and productivity impacts from occupational heat stress have significant ramifications for the large workforce of India. This study profiled occupational heat stress impacts on the health and productivity of workers in select organized and unorganized Indian work sectors. During hotter and cooler seasons, Wet Bulb Globe Temperatures (WBGT) were used to quantify the risk of heat stress, according to International workplace guidelines. Questionnaires assessed workers’ perceived health and productivity impacts from heat stress. A total of 442 workers from 18 Indian workplaces participated (22% and 78% from the organized and unorganized sector, respectively). Overall 82% and 42% of workers were exposed to higher than recommended WBGT during hotter and cooler periods, respectively. Workers with heavy workloads reported more heat-related health issues (chi square = 23.67, p ≤ 0.001) and reduced productivity (chi square = 15.82, p ≤ 0.001), especially the outdoor workers. Heat-rashes, dehydration, heat-syncope and urinogenital symptoms were self-reported health issues. Cited reasons for productivity losses were: extended-work hours due to fatigue/exhaustion, sickness/hospitalization and wages lost. Reducing workplace heat stress will benefit industries and workers via improving worker health and productivity. Adaptation and mitigation measures to tackle heat stress are imperative to protect the present and future workforce as climate change progresses.

Comprehension of climatic and occupational heat stress amongst agricultural advisers and workers in Slovenia

“…Answers do not depend significantly on age or gender but do depend on the time spent outside and on having a chronical disease. These findings agree with the study of Venugopal et al (2016) among 442 outdoor workers in India, where 57 % reported productivity losses due to heat stress. Cited reasons for productivity losses were: extended work hours due to fatigue/exhaustion, sickness/hospitalization and wages lost.…”

“…In regard to gender differences, there were more females experiencing tiredness and dizziness; the same goes for those with chronical diseases, who also perceive enhanced stress in higher percentages. Alike, heat-rashes, dehydration, heat syncope and urinogenital symptoms were self-reported health issues in the study in India among 442 outdoor workers (Venugopal et al, 2016). Affirmative response for any one of the heat-related symptoms such as excessive sweating or thirst, tiredness, cramps, headache, nausea/ vomiting, fainting, prickly heat or urinogenital issues was 96 %.…”

“…Excessive workplace heat is a wellknown occupational health and productivity problem with high body temperature or dehydration influencing heat exhaustion, heat stroke and in extreme cases with a mortal outcome (Hübler et al, 2008;Lumingu and Dessureault, 2009;Lucas et al, 2014;Li et al, 2016;UNDP, 2016;Venugopal et al, 2016;Xiang et al, 2016). Risks to occupational health and labor productivity are more pronounced if workers are engaged in heavy work performed outside or indoor conditions without possibility to cool the air (Nilsson and Kjellstrom, 2010;Zander et al, 2015;Zhang et al, 2016;UNDP, 2016).…”

“…Recently, Venugopal et al (2016) investigated the thermal conditions of migrant workers in India, Zhang et al (2016) studied heat stress effects among migrant and seasonal farmworkers in Colorado and Xiang et al (2016) investigated outdoor workers (2 % of them were farmers) in South Australia. Collectively, these studies indicate that although action plans are available for these counties, there are large knowledge gaps on effective methods to mitigate heat stress and address associated risk amongst the agricultural workers.…”

Projected Changes in Wet-Bulb Globe Temperature under Alternative Climate Scenarios

“…The increase in the near-surface air temperature causes changes in other environmental conditions, such as humidity. These combined effects can pose a significant threat not only to economic output and infrastructure but also to human health and well-being through heat stress [2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9]. Heat stress is an individual experience, which is dependent upon two factors: the amount of heat an individual internally generates from the physical activity he/she is undertaking; and the characteristics of the environment governing the heat transfer between the atmosphere (air temperature, humidity, and radiant heat) and the human body.…”