Exertional heat illness and acute injury related to ambient wet bulb globe temperature

Background

The Deepwater Horizon disaster cleanup effort provided an opportunity to examine the effects of ambient thermal conditions on exertional heat illness (EHI) and acute injury (AI).

Methods

The outcomes were daily person-based frequencies of EHI and AI. Exposures were maximum estimated WBGT (WBGTmax) and severity. Previous day's cumulative effect was assessed by introducing previous day's WBGTmax into the model.

Results

EHI and AI were higher in workers exposed above a WBGTmax of 20°C (RR 1.40 and RR 1.06/°C, respectively). Exposures above 28°C-WBGTmax on the day of the EHI and/or the day before were associated with higher risk of EHI due to an interaction between previous day's environmental conditions and the current day (RRs from 1.0–10.4).

Conclusions

The risk for EHI and AI were higher with increasing WBGTmax. There was evidence of a cumulative effect from the prior day's WBGTmax for EHI. Am. J. Ind. Med. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

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