title: Assessment of thermal environments: Working conditions in the Portuguese ceramic industry in 1994 and 2012.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The assessment of heat stress in the ceramic industry is a matter of great concern for safety and health of workers. For this purpose working conditions in the last two decades are analysed.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To study occupational hot thermal environments in the Portuguese ceramic activity sector in 8 industrial units and 21 workplaces.
  
  
  METHODS
  In order to characterise the level of heat exposure, the method proposed by ISO 7243 (1989) based on the Wet-Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) index was adopted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Two field surveys, one carried out in 1994 and the other in 2012 are considered. The WBGT mean values varied between 23.7 and 37.8°C in the 1994 survey while in 2012 those values ranged from 21.5 to 30.5°C. In the 1994 evaluations 5 out of 8 (62.5%) of the workplaces present heat stress conditions whereas in the 2012 assessments the corresponding value is 46.2% (6 out of 13 workplaces).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite two decades between the two surveys, the results highlight that the overall thermal conditions of the workplaces in the ceramic sector are still quite similar, suggesting that the working conditions have not changed enough, a conclusion that asks for further analysis and improvements.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.|Department of Mechanical Engineering, Coimbra Institute of Engineering, Polytechnic Institute of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
authors.forename: A Virgílio M
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
authors.forename: Adélio R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Gaspar
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
authors.forename: António M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Raimundo
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
authors.forename: Divo A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Quintela
mesh_terms: D002516:Ceramics; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006801:Humans; D066192:Manufacturing Industry; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D016272:Occupational Health; D011174:Portugal; D017132:Workplace
keywords: Health and safety; WBGT index; ceramics; heat stress; industrial units