title: Weighting Criteria and Prioritizing of Heat stress indices in surface mining using a Delphi Technique and Fuzzy AHP-TOPSIS Method.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Heat stress as a physical harmful agent can increase the risk of health and safety problems in different workplaces such as mining. Although there are different indices to assess the heat stress imposed on workers, choosing the best index for a specific workplace is so important. Since various criteria affect an index applicability, extracting the most effective ones and determining their weights help to prioritize the existing indices and select the optimal index.
  
  
  METHODS
  In order to achieve this aim, present study compared some heat stress indices using effective methods. The viewpoints of occupational health experts and the qualitative Delphi methods were used to extract the most important criteria. Then, the weights of 11 selected criteria were determined by Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process. Finally, fuzzy TOPSIS technique was applied for choosing the most suitable heat stress index.
  
  
  RESULTS
  According to result, simplicity, reliability, being low cost, and comprehensiveness were the most determinative criteria for a heat stress index. Based on these criteria and their weights, the existing indices were prioritized. Eventually, wet bulb glob temperature appropriated the first priority and it was proposed as an applicable index for evaluating the heat stress at outdoor hot environments such as surface mines.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The use of these strong methods allows introducing the most simple, precise, and applicable tool for evaluation the heat stress in hot environments. It seems that WBGT acts as an appropriate index for assessing the heat stress in mining activities at outdoors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mehdi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Asghari
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Parvin
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nassiri
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational Health, School of Public Health and Center for Air Pollution Research (CAPR), Institute for Environmental Research (IER), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad Reza
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Monazzam
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Farideh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Golbabaei
authors.affiliation: Research Center for Science and Technology in Medicine (RCSTIM), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Hossein
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Arabalibeik
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Geography, School of Geography, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Aliakbar
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shamsipour
authors.affiliation: Department of Biophysics & Biomedical Engineering, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Armin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Allahverdy
keywords: Fuzzy AHP; Fuzzy TOPSIS; Heat stress; Surface mining