Thermal comfort study of hospital workers in Malaysia

Abstract

The new findings on thermal comfort temperature range in hospitals in the tropics could be used as an important guide for building services engineers and researchers who are intending to minimize energy usage in heating, ventilating and air conditioning systems in hospitals operating in the tropics with acceptable thermal comfort level and to improve the performance and well-being of its workers.

A review of human thermal comfort in the built environment

“…Higher comfort temperature than that prescribed by ASHRAE 55 was required for Malaysians in hospitals [349], which was also corroborated by Azizpour et al [350,351] in the study of a hospital in Malaysia. Based on staff evaluations from nine hospitals, Yau and Chew [352] developed an adaptive thermal comfort model for hospital environments with air-conditioning in a tropical climate.…”

“…In the tropical climate, Yau and Chew [349] assessed four hospitals and found that 49% of the occupants were satisfied with the thermal environments in the hospitals. Higher comfort temperature than that prescribed by ASHRAE 55 was required for Malaysians in hospitals [349], which was also corroborated by Azizpour et al [350,351] in the study of a hospital in Malaysia.…”

Evaluation of Thermal Comfort in an Iranian Educational Hospital Using PMV- PPD Model

“…In their study, Pourshaghaghy et al found that the amount of PMV in some parts of the studied hospital in Kermanshah was not acceptable according to ISO defined standards for both sexes (25). On the other side, the study of Rav and Chov showed the satisfaction of 49% of the hospital staff about the thermal condition of their workplace (17). According to physical measurements conducted in different parts of the hospital, the rate of relative humidity (except for laundry and educational classes which this variation was 60%), was in standard spectrum in most sectors (30% -60%).…”

“…The air condition in workplaces, especially from thermal comfort aspect, is one of the most concerns of the managers in hospitals, governmental, and non-governmental organizations. Because various factors including sort of climate, job, and cultural conditions of the community, personal factors, and ventilation type affect the thermal comfort felt by individuals (16)(17)(18)(19). The percentages of PPD were 93%, 93%, and 85% in the kitchen, laundry, and sterilization units, respectively.…”

Bed-integrated local exhaust ventilation system combined with local air cleaning for improved IAQ in hospital patient rooms

“…this recommendation might be difficult to fulfil. Yau and Chu [29] reported that the air temperature in two Malaysian hospitals varied in the range of 20 -32.2 °C and the measured RH varied in the range of 44% -79%. Thus, considering the possible practical applications of the studied method, the relative humidity in the chamber was controlled and kept in some experiments at 25% (with ±5% relative error) and in some at 70% (with ±6% relative error).…”