[Threshold of energy expenditure for maintenance of thermal comfort in working areas].

The Authors test the possibility of improving the microclimatic conditions of some working areas by assessing the threshold energetic expenditure (KCal/hour and KCal/min) in order to maintain the thermic well-being by means of a "thermic comfort" parameter, PMV. For this purpose, we measured PMV on the basis of tg, ts, V, tun, Pa and Clo in 15 working areas. Then, by an iterative mathematical process, we calculated the threshold value of energetic expenditure in accordance with the values of PMV which show conditions of thermic comfort, that is between + 0.5 and - 0.5. In all the working areas observed it is possible to perform works requiring energetic expenditures lower than 200 KCal/h in conditions of thermic comfort; in 50% of the situations we examined even works requiring higher energetic expenditures.