Work-attributed Illness Arising From Excess Heat Exposure in Ontario, 2004–2010

Fortune, Melanie; Mustard, Cameron; Etches, Jacob; Chambers, Andrea

doi:10.17269/cjph.104.3984

Cited by 30 publications

(35 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…Our study revealed that younger workers are at a higher risk of heat illness. Heatstroke STUDY 2010 and other past studies have shown that heat illness during sports and work is more common among young and middle-aged people 20,22,23) . The reason why aging is a preventive factor is thought to be due to younger age groups tending to engage in heavier workloads, whereas older age groups tend to engage in management work 24) .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

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Risk and preventive factors for heat illness in radiation decontamination workers after the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident

Kakamu

Hidaka

Hayakawa

et al. 2015

Journal of Occupational Health

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Risk and preventive factors for heat illness in radiation decontamination workers after the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident: Takeyasu Kakamu, et al. Department of Hygiene and Preventive Medicine, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine Objective The aim of this study was to reveal factors related to heat illness in radiation decontamination workers and determine effective preventive measures. Methods A self‐administered questionnaire was sent to 1,505 radiation decontamination workers. The questionnaire included age, sex, duration of decontamination work, previous occupation, education provided by employers regarding heat illness, preventive action against heat illness, and subjective symptoms of heat illness during work. We included 528 men, who replied and answered all questions, in the statistical analysis. Subjective symptoms of heat illness were categorized as “no symptoms”, “Grade I” and “Grade II” according to severity. A multiple linear regression model was used to determine the factors associated with the severity of heat illness. Results The mean age of the subjects was 47.6 years old (standard deviation: 13.4). Of the 528 workers, 316 (59.8%) experienced heat illness symptoms (213 at Grade I and 103 at Grade II). The results of the stepwise selection revealed that age, outdoor manual labor, adequate sleep, use of a cool vest, and salt intake were selected as preventive factors, whereas living in a company dormitory or temporary housing, wearing light clothing, and consuming breakfast were selected as risk factors for heat illness. Conclusions Both working conditions and living environment are associated with heat illness in radiation decontamination workers. Type of housing and sleep are also strongly related to heat illness during work. Employers should consider not only the working conditions of the employee but also the employee's daily living conditions, in order to prevent heat illness.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

“…Furthermore, Bouchama and Knochel suggested that heat illness can be prevented with the appropriate knowledge 31) . Fortune et al reported that those who have been engaged in manual or outdoor labor have a lower risk of heat illness 23) . We assume that this is because of their knowledge on the prevention of heat illness.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Risk and preventive factors for heat illness in radiation decontamination workers after the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident

Kakamu

Hidaka

Hayakawa

et al. 2015

Journal of Occupational Health

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“…Nevertheless, 20 cases of heat illness -including 13 deaths -were federally cited in 2012-2013 by OSHA for not providing a place of employment free of recognized hazards (Arbury et al 2014). In the most populous Canadian province of Ontario, 785 heat illness events were identified in 2004-2010 from emergency department records (1.7 per 1 000 000 full-time equivalent months), with a further 612 events derived from lost time-claim records (Fortune et al 2013). Of these work-related incidents, a significant 75% increase in emergency visits occurred for each degree beyond 22°C in ambient maximum temperature ( Fig.…”

Section: Health and Occupational Impactmentioning

confidence: 99%

Thermal stress, human performance, and physical employment standards

Cheung

Lee

Oksa

2016

Appl. Physiol. Nutr. Metab.

109

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Many physically demanding occupations in both developed and developing economies involve exposure to extreme thermal environments that can affect work capacity and ultimately health. Thermal extremes may be present in either an outdoor or an indoor work environment, and can be due to a combination of the natural or artificial ambient environment, the rate of metabolic heat generation from physical work, processes specific to the workplace (e.g., steel manufacturing), or through the requirement for protective clothing impairing heat dissipation. Together, thermal exposure can elicit acute impairment of work capacity and also chronic effects on health, greatly contributing to worker health risk and reduced productivity. Surprisingly, in most occupations even in developed economies, there are rarely any standards regarding enforced heat or cold safety for workers. Furthermore, specific physical employment standards or accommodations for thermal stressors are rare, with workers commonly tested under near-perfect conditions. This review surveys the major occupational impact of thermal extremes and existing employment standards, proposing guidelines for improvement and areas for future research.Key words: Heat stress, cold stress, occupational physiology, testing, work.Résumé : Plusieurs emplois physiquement exigeants dans les économies développées et en émergence s'exercent dans des milieux thermiques extrêmes qui peuvent affecter la capacité de travail et, en fin de compte, la santé. Ces milieux de condition thermique extrême se retrouvent dans des environnements de travail intérieur ou extérieur et peuvent découler d'une combinaison d'un milieu ambiant naturel ou artificiel, de la production de chaleur métabolique due au travail physique, des procédés spécifiques au milieu de travail (p. ex. fabrication de l'acier) ou du port obligatoire d'un équipement de protection s'opposant à la dissipation de la chaleur. Globalement, l'exposition à la chaleur peut diminuer ponctuellement la capacité de travail et générer des effets chroniques sur la santé, augmentant ainsi le risque de maladie chez le travailleur et la diminution de la productivité. Étonnamment, dans la plupart des emplois même dans les économies développées, il y a rarement, à propos du froid et de la chaleur, des normes de sécurité ou des règlements en vigueur à l'intention des travailleurs. De plus, rares sont les normes spécifiques aux tâches physiques ou les accommodations aux agents de stress thermique et les travailleurs sont généralement évalués dans des conditions presque parfaites. Cette analyse documentaire sonde les effets principaux des agents thermiques extrêmes sur les tâches physiques, fait le bilan des normes en vigueur en matière d'emploi, suggère des lignes directrices et des pistes pour des études ultérieures. [Traduit par la Rédaction] Mots-clés : stress thermique, stress dû au froid, physiologie du travail, évaluation, travail.

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“…Thus, although the association between outdoor temperature and heat-related illnesses has been recently studied in Canada,10 23 the association with work-related accidents has been little studied. The aims of this study were to quantify the associations between occupational injury compensations and exposure to summer outdoor temperatures in Quebec (Canada), and to identify vulnerable subgroups of workers and industrial sectors.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%