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Reducing heat stress in warehouse loading docks: Evaluation of a dual-fan air circulation intervention
Hamid Keivanfard1, Charmaine Mullins-Jaime1
1Occupational Safety Management Program, Department of Built Environment, Bailey College of Engineering and Technology, Indiana State University, Terre Haute, IN, USA.
Background:
Loading docks and trailers present high-risk environments for heat stress during summer months and heatwaves. Literature on heat risks in indoor and semi-indoor spaces such as warehouses is limited. While recognized as a top tier hazard control, there is also limited empirical support of ventilation controls for thermal stress in loading dock and warehouse spaces. This study evaluated whether a simple dual-fan circulation method, leveraging Archimedes, buoyant force, and convection principles, could reduce heat index values inside trailers compared to a conventional single-fan method.
Methods:
Data were collected from 100 trailers during peak summer months in a Midwestern warehouse. Temperature and humidity were recorded, and heat index values were calculated using the National Weather Service chart. Independent-samples t-tests and ANCOVA adjusting for outdoor ambient conditions were conducted.
Results:
The dual fan method significantly reduced trailer heat index compared to single fans, t(98) = 2.96, p = 0.004, with a medium-to-large effect (Hedges' g = 0.59). ANCOVA indicated that dual fans moderated the effect of outdoor temperature, explaining 43.7% of the variance in heat index (partial η2 = 0.36-.38).
Conclusion:
Findings demonstrate that dual-fan circulation is a low-cost, scalable engineering control that meaningfully reduces thermal stress in trailers and buffers against rising outdoor temperatures. These results support integrating simple engineering interventions into warehouse heat prevention programs to protect worker health and sustain productivity.
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