Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 9, 2026
12:02
Collection and Extraction of Occupational Air Samples for Analysis of Fungal DNA
Published on: May 2, 2018
13.1K
Occupational heat exposure among municipal workers
Christopher K Uejio1, Laurel Harduar Morano2, Jihoon Jung3
1Department of Geography, Florida State University, Bellamy Building Room 323, 113 Collegiate Loop, PO Box 3062190, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA. cuejio@fsu.edu.
Summary
Outdoor workers face significant heat exposure, with personal sensors revealing conditions hotter than official weather stations. Adapting work practices, like shifting duties indoors, improves thermal comfort and worker well-being.
Area of Science:
- Occupational Health
- Environmental Science
- Climate Change Adaptation
Background:
- Outdoor workers are at high risk for heat-related illnesses due to prolonged exposure and limited access to cooling.
- Understanding heat exposure and adaptation strategies is crucial for protecting municipal workers' health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify exposure misclassification when using official weather stations to estimate personal heat exposure.
- To survey municipal workers' knowledge and practices for adapting to extreme heat.
- To examine the relationship between heat exposure, adaptation practices, and self-reported thermal comfort.
Main Methods:
- Personal heat exposure sensors were worn by participants over seven days in Tallahassee, Florida.
- Workers reported daily thermal comfort and heat adaptation strategies.
- An extreme heat knowledge, attitudes, and practices survey was administered.
Main Results:
- 37% of participants experienced heat index values more than 2°F higher than official weather stations indicated.
- Common adaptations included hydration (85%), wearing hats (46%), and seeking shade (40%).
- Higher temperatures increased the likelihood of feeling too hot (OR=1.21), while shifting work indoors improved comfort (OR=0.28).
Conclusions:
- Official weather stations may underestimate actual heat exposure for outdoor workers.
- Effective heat adaptation strategies, including modifying work locations, are vital for outdoor worker health in hot climates.
Related Concept Videos
01:16Specific Heat
67.6K
The specific heat capacity of a substance refers to the energy required to increase the temperature of one gram of that substance by one degree Celcius. Specific heat capacity is often represented in calories (cal), grams (g), and degrees Celsius (oC), but can also be expressed in joules (J), kilograms (kg), and Kelvin (K), among other units.
For example, increasing the temperature of one gram of water by 1°C requires one calorie of heat energy and can be written as 1 cal/g-°C, or...
For example, increasing the temperature of one gram of water by 1°C requires one calorie of heat energy and can be written as 1 cal/g-°C, or...
67.6K
02:46Quantifying Heat
62.2K
Thermal Energy Microscopically, thermal energy is the kinetic energy associated with the random motion of atoms and molecules. Temperature is a quantitative measure of “hot” or “cold”, which depends on the amount of thermal energy. When the atoms and molecules in an object are moving or vibrating quickly, they have a higher average kinetic energy (KE) (or higher thermal energy), and the object is perceived as “hot”, or it is described as being at a higher temperature. When the...
62.2K
01:12Heat Flow and Specific Heat
6.8K
Heat is a type of energy transfer that is caused by a temperature difference, and it can change the temperature of an object. Since heat is a form of energy, its SI unit is the joule (J). Another common unit of energy often used for heat is the calorie (cal), which is defined as the energy needed to change the temperature of 1 g of water by 1 °C, specifically between 14.5 °C and 15.5 °C, since the energy needed shows a slight temperature dependence. Another commonly used unit is...
6.8K
02:44Heating and Cooling Curves
28.0K
When a substance—isolated from its environment—is subjected to heat changes, corresponding changes in temperature and phase of the substance is observed; this is graphically represented by heating and cooling curves.
For instance, the addition of heat raises the temperature of a solid; the amount of heat absorbed depends on the heat capacity of the solid (q = mcsolidΔT). According to thermochemistry, the relation between the amount of heat absorbed or released by a substance, q, and its...
For instance, the addition of heat raises the temperature of a solid; the amount of heat absorbed depends on the heat capacity of the solid (q = mcsolidΔT). According to thermochemistry, the relation between the amount of heat absorbed or released by a substance, q, and its...
28.0K
01:10Heat Engines
3.7K
A heat engine is a device used to extract heat from a source and then convert it into mechanical work used for various applications. For example, a steam engine on an old-style train can produce the work needed for driving the train.
Whenever we consider heat engines (and associated devices such as refrigerators and heat pumps), we do not use the standard sign convention for heat and work. For convenience, we assume that the symbols Qh, Qc, and W represent only the amounts of heat transferred...
Whenever we consider heat engines (and associated devices such as refrigerators and heat pumps), we do not use the standard sign convention for heat and work. For convenience, we assume that the symbols Qh, Qc, and W represent only the amounts of heat transferred...
3.7K
01:24Heat and Free Expansion
2.9K
The work done by a thermodynamic system depends not only on the initial and final states but also on the intermediate states—that is, on the path. Like work, when heat is added to a thermodynamic system, it undergoes a change of state, and the state attained depends on the path from the initial state to the final state. Consider an ideal gas cylinder fitted with a piston. When the cylinder is heated at a constant temperature, the gas molecules absorb energy and expand slowly in a...
2.9K