PHYSIOLOGICAL INDEX STUDY AT THE HEAT TOLERANCE LIMITS IN CHINA

摘要

In this study, the heat stress and heat tolerance of 148 male volunteers were examined under different climatic conditions in a stainless steel climatic chamber. The conditions were 30 to 42°C dry bulb temperature and 40 to 80 percent relative humidity. The subjects aged from 19 to 26 years old did different work at the metabolic rate of 150,300 and 500 kcal/h respectively. The exposure durations and heat stress were decided by measuring oral temperature, skin temperature, heart rates, and sweating responses. The study proposed physiological limit values at exposure limits. Moreover, the study suggested that physiological measures from the experiments should be applied to evaluate the classification of extreme heat working environments in China.