Document Detail


Thermal comfort assessment in comfort-prone workplaces.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  17878258     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
This paper's main issue is a strong advocacy in favour of an a priori classification of thermal environments that can be really functional to comfort assessment: Class 1, environments where comfort conditions can be established (comfort-prone environments), and Class 2, environments where this is not practically feasible. The former, which are also identified here as 'thermally unconstrained' environments, because of the absence of elements preventing comfort from being pursued, are the subject of a novel classification scheme. In assembling such a scheme, the four standardized synthetic indexes (Predicted Mean Vote, Insulation REQuired, Predicted Heat Strain, Wet-Bulb Globe Temperature) have been carefully scrutinized, with special emphasis on the regions of overlap. Additional data from national technical documents and legislation have been used to help in assembling the discomfort assessment scheme. All available information has been reprocessed and cast in a form specific for use in comfort-prone environments. Classification takes place through placement in a four-level and in a six-level discomfort scale for cold and warm environments, respectively; for each area, a recommended descriptor as well as a time frame for intervention are specified. The new scheme also eliminates a few glitches and inconsistencies existing in the ISO 15265 scheme, mostly in the area of cold discomfort. Being solely concerned with comfort-prone environments and keeping an open mind with respect to all available information, the new classification scheme represents a simple and robust all-round tool, tackling issues related to both comfort assessment and to action planning for an optimized allocation of available resources.
Authors:
Paolo Lenzuni; Michele Del Gaudio
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Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article; Review    
Journal Detail:
Title:  The Annals of occupational hygiene     Volume:  51     ISSN:  0003-4878     ISO Abbreviation:  Ann Occup Hyg     Publication Date:  2007 Aug 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2007-09-19     Completed Date:  2008-03-05     Revised Date:  2008-11-21    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  0203526     Medline TA:  Ann Occup Hyg     Country:  England    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  543-51     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
Department of Florence, Italian National Institute for Occupational Prevention and Safety, Via G. LaPira 17, 50121 Firenze, Italy. paolo.lenzuni@ispesl.it
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Cold Temperature
Environment Design / legislation & jurisprudence,  standards*
Hot Temperature
Humans
Occupational Exposure / adverse effects
Risk Assessment / methods
Temperature*
Temperature Sense / physiology
Workplace / classification*

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


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