Overheating of work environments.
The increase in global temperatures caused by climate change is increasingly leading to the phenomenon of ‘heat stress,’ which refers to excessive heat exposure beyond what the body can tolerate without suffering physiological damage. This excess heat raises occupational risks and workers’ vulnerability; it can lead to heat strokes and, in extreme cases, even death.
Excessive heat during work poses health risks in the workplace, limits workers’ physical functions and capacities, work capability, and productivity. ‘Heat exhaustion’ occurs when the body temperature exceeds 39°C and is associated with reduced labor productivity, a higher prevalence of work-related errors, and an increased risk of accidental workplace injuries.
Occupations involving significant physical exertion and/or industrial workers working in enclosed environments are at risk if temperature levels inside factories and workshops are not properly regulated. It is projected that by 2030, heat stress will reduce total working hours worldwide by 2.2% and the global GDP by 2.4 trillion dollars.
Projections based on a global temperature increase of 1.5°C by the end of the twenty-first century and workforce trends suggest that by 2030, approximately 2.2% of total working hours worldwide will be lost due to high temperatures. This translates to a productivity loss equivalent to 80 million full-time jobs.
Why it is important to assess the company microclimate.
In accordance with microclimatic conditions, work environments can be categorized into:
• Moderate environments, where conditions of comfort can be achieved (including through the use of air conditioning systems);
• Harsh hot/cold environments, where such conditions cannot be guaranteed, and therefore, ensuring the health and safety of the workers becomes a concern (for example, in refrigeration cells).
The assessment of the microclimate is a crucial element: discomfort within workplaces due to microclimatic conditions (temperature levels, humidity, poor ventilation) can have a negative impact on both the physical health and psychological well-being of workers, thereby affecting productivity.
The Evaporative Cooling by ART-ECO for Thermal Comfort.
When the human body does not experience sensations of cold or heat, the individual is in a state of satisfaction with the environment known as ‘thermal comfort.’ This optimal condition is achieved through an appropriate cooling system in industrial environments.
When environmental parameters such as temperature, ventilation, and airspeed are appropriately adjusted, it can positively impact the environment and the human body’s thermoregulation process, ensuring situations of environmental comfort. Microclimatic well-being and environmental comfort refer to the environmental condition in which indoor air is perceived as optimal by the majority of occupants in terms of both physical properties (temperature, humidity, ventilation) and chemical properties (clean or fresh air).
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