The utilization of infrared imaging for occupational disease study in industrial work.
Infrared imaging has been used to visualize superficial temperatures in industrial employers standing and working in an indoor environment at 22°C. Temperature distributions and changes have been recorded digitally and analyzed. Mean skin temperatures determined by this method have been compared with superficial temperatures obtained with a probe thermocouple. During working hours, surface temperatures were higher over extensor muscles than over other structures and their spatial distributions differed dramatically from those observed before working hours. The authors also analyzed the cold water immersion of the hands during work. This paper showed that working generates different thermal effects on human skin that reflect physiological and pathological occupational conditions and can be monitored by infrared imaging.
Postgraduate Program in Mechanical Engineering, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, PR, Brazil. termometria@yahoo.com.br
Marcos Leal
ML
Brioschi
Maria Lúcia Leite Ribeiro
ML
Okimoto
José Viriato Coelho
JV
Vargas
D000328:Adult; D006804:Ergonomics; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006801:Humans; D007101:Immersion / Q000503:physiopathology; D007221:Industry; D007259:Infrared Rays; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D011187:Posture / Q000502:physiology; D012106:Research; D012881:Skin Temperature / Q000502:physiology*; D013817:Thermography / Q000379:methods*