DETERMINATION OF THE OPTIMUM HEAT STRESS INDEX AT A FOUNDRY

This paper presents a case study to determine the efficiency of the currently used heat stress indices in correlation with wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) as a permissible index at a foundry plant and to evaluate the extent of the physiological responses such as heart rate and body temperature in correlation with heat stress indices. The field consisted of a foundry plant where a shift work was in operation. The results indicated that wet globe temperature (WGT), corrected effective temperature (CET), and predicted four-hour sweat rate (P4SR) indices have the best correlation with WBGT index respectively, and P4SR and CET indices correlate well with physiological responses more successfully than WBGT does in hot-dry conditions, CET index gives the best correlation with body temperature while P4SR is the most accurate with the heart rate.