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Physiological impacts on construction workers under extremely hot and humid weather

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Abstract

Purpose

Construction worker health and safety is a primary concern for construction companies and researchers. Arabian Gulf region, like Saudi Arabia, has been experiencing extremely hot and humid (EHH) weather, which directly affects construction workers’ health and safety. This study aims to address the problem of EHH weather conditions and their impacts on construction workers’ physiological status.

Methods

This study assesses the impacts of EHH weather on construction workers’ physiological status through the measurement of workers’ physical body parameters (age, height, and weight); type of activities; and assigned tasks. Thirty-five multinational workers participated in the measurements, which were conducted in real construction site conditions A quantitative analysis was then applied to quantify the physiological impacts of the weather conditions. Several hypotheses were tested to identify the significant impacts of individual and working aspects on the workers’ physiological responses.

Results and conclusion

The results provide empirical evidence that the recorded Heart Rate (HR) exceeded the acceptable physiological zones for construction workers exposed to extremely hot and humid weather conditions. Physical body parameters, work activities, and worker status significantly influence construction workers’ physiological responses. This study recommends adopting a continuous monitoring approach as an early warning system under extremely hot and humid weather conditions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. QMS and ISO Lead Auditor, Associate Fellow of the HEA, QUT - Gardens Point Campus, Brisbane, Australia

    Ammar Moohialdin

  2. School of Property, Construction and Project Management, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia

    Bambang Trigunarsyah

  3. Construction Engineering and Management, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran, 31261, Saudi Arabia

    Muhammad Saiful Islam

  4. Civil and Environmental Engineering - Construction Engineering and Management, University of Delaware, 342C Dupont Hall, Newark, DE 19716, USA

    Mohsin K. Siddiqui

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  1. Ammar Moohialdin
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  2. Bambang Trigunarsyah
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  3. Muhammad Saiful Islam
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  4. Mohsin K. Siddiqui
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Correspondence to Muhammad Saiful Islam.

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Moohialdin, A., Trigunarsyah, B., Islam, M.S. et al. Physiological impacts on construction workers under extremely hot and humid weather. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 95, 315–329 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-021-01785-w

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