NIOSHTIC-2 Publications Search

Pre-employment and periodic medical examinations for workers on hot jobs.

Minard D

NIOSH 1980 Dec; :61-70

00168713

A series of recommendations was outlined for the preemployment and periodic medical examination of individuals assigned to hot jobs in order to reduce the risk of heat related disorders. The recommended medical examination program included the following elements: history of adaptability to heat; sex and age of the individuals; obesity; determination of the level of physical fitness; examination of the cardiovascular, respiratory, skin and other systems; drug history; and specific job related fitness qualifications not necessarily related to heat exposure. The recommended medical examination program was intended for workers whose job involved continuous or intermittent exposure to heat for 2 hours or more during a work shift, and workers whose jobs required exposure to heat so high that even a brief exposure would have resulted in excessive strain. According to the program, workers younger than 45 years of age would require a periodic examination every 2 or 3 years, although those who had some initial health impairment would require periodic examinations at shorter intervals. Workers older than 45 years of age would require yearly medical examinations. The author concludes that job applicants who perform poorly during a preemployment exercise test involving measurements of heart rate and body temperature should not be assigned to highly active jobs in hot environments.

Thermal-effects; Heat-stress; Industrial-environment; Physical-examination; Occupational-health; Heat-tolerance

19801201

Conference/Symposia Proceedings

Dukes-Dobos FN; Henschel A

1981

DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 81-108

Proceedings of a NIOSH Workshop on Recommended Heat Stress Standards, September 17-19, 1979, Cincinnati, Ohio

OH