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PREDICTOL: a computer program to determine the thermophysiological duration limited exposures in various climatic
Yves Besnard1, Jean-Claude Launay, Angélique Guinet-Lebreton
1Département des Facteurs humains, Pôle Tolérance Climatique et Vêtement, Centre de Recherches du Service de Santé des Armées, 24 Avenue des Maquis du Grésivaudan, 38702 La Tronche Cedex, France. ybesnard@crssa.net
Computer Methods and Programs in Biomedicine
|October 27, 2004
Summary
PREDICTOL software calculates human thermophysiological duration limited exposures (DLE) across diverse climates and activities. This tool aids in understanding thermal stress and optimizing safety in various environments.
Area of Science:
- Human thermophysiology
- Environmental exposure assessment
- Occupational safety
Background:
- Assessing human exposure to thermal stress is crucial for safety in various environments.
- Existing methods often focus on specific conditions, limiting applicability.
- PREDICTOL aims to provide a unified approach for calculating duration limited exposures (DLE).
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce PREDICTOL, a PC program for determining thermophysiological duration limited exposures (DLE) in humans.
- To enable DLE calculation under varied climatic conditions (hot and cold), activity levels (rest or exercise), and clothing states.
- To offer both an educational mode for parameter exploration and a scenario mode for realistic activity simulation.
Main Methods:
- Utilizes International Standardization Organization (ISO) standards, including ISO 7933 for hot and ISO-TR 11079 for cold environments.
- Incorporates an educational interactive mode to demonstrate the effects of environmental and personal factors on DLE.
- Features a scenario mode to simulate DLE for complex sequences of occupational, military, or recreational activities.
Main Results:
- PREDICTOL calculates DLE for humans under diverse thermal loads, considering clothing insulation and permeability.
- The program demonstrates thermophysiological responses to changes in temperature, humidity, wind speed, and metabolic heat production.
- DLE predictions from PREDICTOL show strong correlation (r = 0.86; P < 0.001) with controlled laboratory findings.
Conclusions:
- PREDICTOL offers a versatile tool for assessing thermophysiological duration limited exposures (DLE) across a wide range of conditions.
- The program's ability to handle diverse climatic and activity scenarios enhances its practical application in occupational and environmental health.
- PREDICTOL provides valuable insights into human thermal balance and exposure limits, validated by laboratory data.