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Occupational Hygiene Heat Stress Workshop

Toronto, Canada,
Date: April 7, 2011

Course Director Charles Pilger, CIH, ROH

COURSE OBJECTIVES

High heat levels in the workplace can be a serious health hazard for workers. Recognizing heat hazards in the workplace and accurately assessing their magnitude is essential, particularly with an aging workforce or where workers may have pre-existing health problems that make them particularly susceptible to heat related health disorders.

As part of our ongoing commitment to professional occupational health education and training, ALARA is offering a one-day course in the theory and practice of evaluating heat stress hazards. This course will provide participants with the background knowledge and practical skills required to evaluate heat hazards in their workplaces. Participants will gain experience with current monitoring equipment for both environmental heat stress measurements and personal exposure monitoring for heat strain. The course has been designed for professional occupational hygienists wishing to refresh and update their knowledge of heat stress as well as hygienists who have no previous experience in evaluating heat stress problems.

Course enrollment is limited to 15 participants to maximize hands on experience with the equipment, and interaction with other participants. A registration form is available at this link.

WORKSHOP PROGRAM

8:20	Introductory remarks
8:30	Introduction to Heat Stress An overview of hazards of exposure to excessive heat. The effects of heat on the body - physiological responses to heat stress, core temperature limitations. Heat disorders - heat stroke, heat collapse, heat exhaustion, heat cramps, heat rash. Typical hot working environments - hot dry vs. hot humid. Heat transfer mechanisms. Environmental factors that contribute to heat stress - temperature, humidity, air velocity. Personal factors - health status, fitness and metabolic heat load. Effect of other concurrent exposures.
9:15	The Physiological Response to Heat Stress Heat balance and its control - thermoregulation in the body. Effect of heat on heart rate, blood flow and sweat loss. Mechanism of acclimatization to heat. Environmental factors influencing heat loss through sweating - humidity, clothing.
10:00	Break
10:15	Evaluation of Heat Stress The various indices that have been used to quantify heat stress will be discussed, with particular emphasis on the WBGT. ACGIH Exposure limits based on the WBGT and work rest regimens will be introduced. The use of Humidex to assess comfort in non-industrial environments will be discussed. The limitations of using calculated assessments of heat stress with a heterogeneous worker population will be stressed and the importance of the workers' subjective assessment of heat strain will be emphasized.
11:15	Heat Stress Instrumentation The classical evaluation of hot environments with dry bulb, wet bulb and globe thermometers will be discussed. Instrumentation currently available to measure WBGT more efficiently, and personal heat stress monitors to measure heat strain will be described and demonstrated.
12:00	Lunch
13:00	Practical Exercises Practical exercises will be performed using data-logging environmental heat stress monitors and personal heat strain instruments. Common sources of error with this equipment will be demonstrated.
14:30	Heat Stress Calculations Some typical calculations associated with evaluating heat stress will be discussed and example problems will be solved.
15:00	Break
15:15	Control of Heat Exposure An overview of engineering controls, administrative controls personal protective equipment and worker education that can minimize the hazards of heat exposure. Work practices to reduce heat stress - work-rest schedules, replacement of water and salt, worker training and education. The influence of clothing ensembles in different thermal environments. The importance of acclimatizing workers and the dangers of loss of acclimatization while away from work. Current ACGIH exposure limits to minimize heat stress and the interpretation of these limits.
16:15	Course Evaluation
16:30	Adjournment

Course Fee: $400.00 plus 13% H.S.T. (total $452.00)

Course fee includes course manual and materials. A $150 cancellation fee is payable for cancellation less than 10 business days before the course begins.

For a registration form, please follow this link.

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*ALARA* Industrial Hygiene Services Ltd. 103 Parkview Hill Crescent, Toronto, ON Canada M4B 1R5
	Phone (416) 759-9579	Email info@alara.ca

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