Evaluating the effect of physical work in the heat on cognitive performance of construction workers

The risk of excessive heat exposure is especially high among outdoor construction workers and can have detrimental effects on their cognitive performance, including impaired attention and reduced memory. Reduced attention might lead to impaired judgement and increased risk of accidents, while reduced memory can diminish workers' capacity to remember crucial safety procedures, carry out complex tasks correctly, and make wise decisions on the construction site. In this study, the cognitive performance of 20 participants performing manual laboratory-simulated construction work was investigated in a hot environment (36°C, 60% relative humidity) compared to a temperate environment (20°C, 60%). The study also evaluated the effect of physical work in hot and temperate conditions on the mental and physical demands of the performed tasks, as well as the thermal perceptions of participants. There were no significant differences in attention (Go/No-Go test) and memory (simple 2-back test) between hot and temperate conditions. Performance on the more complex memory task (3-back test) was impaired in the hot condition compared with the temperate condition (P < 0.05). Results of the present study revealed that construction workplaces can consider additional safety measures for construction workers performing complex cognitive tasks demanding working memory in hot conditions.