Climate change is increasing the risk of heat stress and expanding its impact to new sectors, but wearable technology is emerging as an asset in understanding heat's effect on the body and developing effective prevention strategies. Dr. Sandra Dorman, Director of the Centre for Research in Occupational Safety and Health (CROSH) and Professor at the School of Kinesiology & Health Sciences, has launched a heat stress toolkit designed to support employers and workers in addressing and preventing occupational heat stress.
Dr. Dorman's research focuses on health promotion and disease prevention in the occupational setting. She has spent the last year researching heat stress and its significant impact on worker productivity and overall health, using that research to develop a comprehensive information resource.
CROSH partnered with Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers Inc (OHCOW) to create the toolkit and provide widespread access to it via the OHCOW website. The digital resource includes guides, infographics, videos, calculators, and is available in English, French, and Spanish.
"Although heat can cause serious acute injuries like heat exhaustion and heat stroke, heat stress is also considered an occupational illness because regular exposure can lead to serious health conditions in the long term," Dr. Dorman explained. "An estimated 220 Canadians die annually from occupational heat stress and an estimated 15% of workers who frequently work under heat stress develop a heat illness, predominantly kidney disease. Having a Heat Illness Prevention Plan is crucial, not only to prevent immediate injuries from heat strain but also to mitigate future health risks."
Dr. Dorman pointed out that diseases like kidney disease, brain damage, and cardiovascular issues can be prevented through effective management of heat exposure, underscoring the role of monitoring. Wearable technology, such as body sensors akin to smartwatches, has become an effective monitoring tool, reliably measuring physiological markers like heart rate, and approximating core temperature, among other variables. The Physiological Monitoring Guide is a decision-making guide within the toolkit designed to help employers choose wearable technology products to strengthen their Heat Illness Prevention Plan and guide work-rest schedules for their team.
"We've been exploring these technologies for use in high-risk jobs, such as mine workers and wildland firefighters, as a component of a company's Heat Illness Prevention Plan," Dr. Dorman said. "While their implementation may be valuable, they also introduce novel challenges for workers and workplaces and are certainly not a one-size-fits-all. However, with climate change, I expect a rapid uptake of these tools, as we are already seeing an explosion of interest from a variety of workplaces, including places not traditionally considered to be at risk for heat stress, specifically, healthcare workers wearing PPE for extended periods, and teachers facing overheated classrooms."
CROSH recently renewed funding agreements, allowing Dr. Dorman to continue studying heat stress for the next three years. She says she looks forward to further researching the effectiveness of wearable technology in real-world situations, through field tests and lab studies using the Environmental Chamber at Laurentian University.
