Department of Building and Real Estate, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China.
School of Engineering and Advanced Technology, Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand.
Int J Biometeorol. 2018 Sep;62(9):1625-1634. doi: 10.1007/s00484-018-1562-y. Epub 2018 May 25.
This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and practicality of a cooling intervention with a newly designed cooling vest on heat strain attenuation in the construction industry. Fourteen construction workers volunteered to participate in the field study. Each participant took part in two trials, i.e., cooling and control. Construction work included morning and afternoon sessions. Cooling intervention was implemented for 15 and 30 min during the morning and afternoon rest periods, respectively, between repeated bouts of work. Micrometeorological (wet-bulb globe temperature [WBGT]), physiological (tympanic temperature and heart rate), and perceptual (ratings of perceived exertion [RPE] and thermal sensation) measurements were taken during the test. Heat strain indices, including physiological strain index (PSI) and perceptual strain index (PeSI), were estimated accordingly. During the study, construction workers were exposed to a hot environment with a mean WBGT of 31.56 ± 1.87 °C. Compared with the control, physiological and perceptual strain were significantly reduced in the cooling condition during rest and subsequent work periods (p < 0.05; d = 0.24-1.07, small to large cooling effect). Cooling intervention significantly alleviates heat strain in the construction industry. The effectiveness and practicality of a proposed cooling intervention were tested in a field study. Results provide a reference for setting guidelines and promoting application on a range of construction sites.
本研究旨在评估一种新型冷却背心对建筑行业热应激缓解的效果和实用性。14 名建筑工人自愿参加现场研究。每位参与者都参加了两次试验，即冷却和对照。建筑工作包括上午和下午两个时段。冷却干预在上午和下午的休息时间分别进行 15 和 30 分钟，在重复工作之间进行。在测试过程中进行了微气象学（湿球黑球温度[WBGT]）、生理（鼓膜温度和心率）和感知（感觉用力等级[RPE]和热感觉）测量。相应地估计了热应激指数，包括生理应激指数（PSI）和感知应激指数（PeSI）。在研究期间，建筑工人暴露在平均 WBGT 为 31.56±1.87°C 的炎热环境中。与对照相比，在休息和随后的工作期间，冷却条件下的生理和感知应激明显降低（p<0.05；d=0.24-1.07，冷却效果从小到大为小）。冷却干预可显著减轻建筑行业的热应激。在现场研究中测试了拟议冷却干预的有效性和实用性。结果为制定指南和在各种建筑工地推广应用提供了参考。
