Maintaining a stable core body temperature in the face of changing environmental conditions and metabolic workloads allows humans to function in diverse climates and surroundings. In addition the hydration status of these workers has not been documented. As a consequence it is frequently proposed that it is beyond the physiological thresholds of these workers to work safely, however, little data has been gathered to better understand the physical strain imposed on these workers. The environmental conditions in the summer are some of harshest in the world. To date there have been few studies to document the hydration status and possible fatigue of these workers whilst working in the heat. The United Arab Emirates and other Gulf States have thousands of expatriate workers performing physical tasks in very hostile environmental conditions during summer. The data also demonstrated that the use of WBGT (a widely used risk assessment tool) as a thermal index is inappropriate for use in Gulf conditions, however TWL was found to be a valuable tool in assessing thermal stress. The findings suggested that workers will self-pace according to the conditions. The data demonstrate that people can work, without adverse physiological effects, in hot conditions if they are provided with the appropriate fluids and are allowed to self-pace. Core body temperatures were not elevated suggesting satisfactory thermoregulation. The results obtained indicated that the workers were not physiologically challenged despite fluctuating harsh environmental conditions. There were no changes in core temperature or average heart rate between day 1 and day 3, nor between shift start and finish, despite substantial changes in thermal stress. Most subjects commenced work euhydrated and maintained this status over a 12-hour shift. TWL and WBGT were used to assess the thermal stress. Subjects were monitored over 3 consecutive shifts. Aural temperature, fluid intake, and urine specific gravity were recorded and continuous heart rate monitoring was used to assess fatigue. The objective of the study was to investigate the physiological responses of construction workers labouring in thermally stressful environments in the UAE using Thermal Work Limit (TWL) as a method of environmental risk assessment.
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