Climate CHIP Publications

Indoor climate implications of extreme outdoor climates

Authors: 
Smith KR, Kjellstrom T, Venugopal V, Lemke B, Lucas R
Year: 
2013

Background: Consensus climate modelling projects highly altered climates by 2100 with small but not low probabilities of reaching 6-9 deg mean annual increases in mean global temperature and much larger increases in some regions and seasons. Such temperatures imply increasingly large increases in areas where outdoor work is restricted because of physiological limits due to the local wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT), a function mainly of temperature and humidity, but also considering wind and radiation.

Calculating workplace WBGT from meteorological data

Authors: 
Lemke B, Kjellstrom T
Year: 
2012

The WBGT heat stress index has been well tested under a variety of climatic conditions and quantitative links have been established between WBGT and the work-rest cycles needed to prevent heat stress effects at the workplace. While there are more specific methods based on individual physiological measurements to determine heat strain in an individual worker, the WBGT index is used in international and national standards to specify workplace heat stress risks.

Calculating Workplace WBGT from Meteorological Data: A Tool for Climate Change Assessment

Authors: 
Lemke B, Kjellstrom T
Year: 
2012

The WBGT heat stress index has been well tested under a variety of climatic conditions and quantitative links have been established between WBGT and the work-rest cycles needed to prevent heat stress effects at the workplace. While there are more specific methods based on indi-vidual physiological measurements to determine heat strain in an individual worker, the WBGT index is used in international and national standards to specify workplace heat stress risks.

Association Between Occupational Heat Stress and Kidney Disease Among 37 816 Workers in the Thai Cohort Study

Authors: 
Tawatsupa B, Lim LL-Y, Kjellstrom T, Seubsman S, Sleigh A & the Thai Cohort Study team
Year: 
2012

Background: We examined the relationship between self-reported occupational heat stress and incidence of self-reported doctor-diagnosed kidney disease in Thai workers.

Socio-cultural reflections on heat in Australia with implications for health and climate change adaptation

Authors: 
Banwell C, Dixon J, Bambrick H. Edwards F, Kjellstrom T
Year: 
2012

Background : Australia has a hot climate with maximum summer temperatures in its major cities frequently exceeding 35°C. Although ‘heat waves’ are an annual occurrence, the associated heat-related deaths among vulnerable groups, such as older people, suggest that Australians could be better prepared to deal with extreme heat. Objective : To understand ways in which a vulnerable sub-population adapt their personal behaviour to cope with heat within the context of Australians’ relationship with heat.

Climate change and rising heat: population health implications for working people in Australia

Authors: 
Hanna EG, Kjellstrom T, Bennett C, Dear K.
Year: 
2011

The rapid rise in extreme heat events in Australia recently is already taking a health toll. Climate change scenarios predict increases in the frequency and intensity of extreme heat events in the future, and population health may be significantly compromised for people who cannot reduce their heat exposure. Exposure to extreme heat presents a health hazard to all who are physically active, particularly outdoor workers and indoor workers with minimal access to cooling systems while working.

Workplace heat stress in the context of rising temperature in India.

Authors: 
Dash SK, Kjellstrom T
Year: 
2011

Heat stress is an important aspect in the lives of people working under exposed conditions for long hours. It is interesting to examine the impact of global warming on the occurrence of heat stress in India. This study uses India Meteorological Department (IMD) daily temperature gridded data to investigate the changes in frequency and episodes of extreme temperature events in seven temperature homogenous regions and the country as a whole by applying the guidelines suggested by the World Meteorological Organization ‘Expert Team on Climate Change Detection and Indices’. It is

Climate change, occupational health and workplace productivity.

Authors: 
Kjellstrom T.
Year: 
2011

Climate change will increase the average global temperature, but there will be substantial variation in local regions. A variety of potential health impacts have been identified. One issue of emerging concern is high heat exposure in workplaces, both indoors and outdoors. This is already a major problem for people with physically demanding work in places with very hot seasons each year. Heat stress creates physiological change, clinical health effects and lowered work capacity, which for some people reduces their hourly productivity and income. The economic