JOURNAL OF BUSINESS LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

ISSN NO : 2995-620X

The Journal of Business Leadership and Management is committed to advancing the understanding of effective leadership and management practices in the dynamic landscape of business. Our journal aims to provide a platform for academics, practitioners, researchers, and thought leaders to share insights, research findings, and strategies that contribute to informed decision-making and organizational success.

  • 461
    Views
  • 0
    CrossRef citations to date

Examining Thermal Comfort Levels And Physical Performance In Malaysian Settings: A Simulation Chamber Experiment

1 Department Of Mechanical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Petronas, 32610 Seri Iskandar Perak,,Malaysia

Volume 1

Issue 1

Page: [1 - 8]

Published Online: October 9, 2023

  • Abstract

    Thermal Comfort Refers To A Situation Where Human Feels Satisfied With The Environment's Temperature. There Is No Absolute Thermal Comfort Level That Applies To All Human, Since It Is A Subjective Situation That Differ From One Person To Another. This Study's Objective Is To Identify Malaysian Thermal Comfort Level And Physical Performances Under Simulation Chamber Experiment Set-Tings. Three Young And Healthy Males With No Medical Issues Were Chosen As Study Respondents. There Were Four Settings In This Study; (I) 25°C With 70 RH, (Ii) 34°C With 92% RH, (Iii) 34°C With 74% RH And (V) 38°C With 83% RH . Respondents Were Required To Imitate Construction Workers Lifting Task Under The Four Environment Settings. This Study Findings Show A Noticeable Association Between An Increase In Temperature Towards Heart Rate Level. As The Temperature Rises Up, Respondents Mean And Peak HR Level Also Rises. Significant Mean And Peak HR Were Identified At 38°C For All Respondents. In Addition, Respondents Become Fatigue And Sluggish Much Faster At 38°C Compared To 25°C And 34°C. The Most Notable Decline In Physical Abilities Was Identified For Respondent A Under 38°C Setting. One Possible Reason For This Situation Is That Respondent A Body Mass Index (BMI) Is Much Higher Than The Two Other Respondents.

    Keywords: Heat Stress Construction Worker Work Performance Malaysia Construction Industry

  • Figures

    Figure Image

  • References

      • [1] Arif, M., Katafygiotou, M., Mazroei, A., Kaushik, A., & Elsarrag, E. (2016). Impact of indoor environmental quality on occupant well-being and comfort: A review of the literature. International Journal of Sustainable Built Environment, 5(1), 1-11.
      • [2] Arnold, L. (2023). El Nino forecast to hit later this year, say experts. Retrieved from: https://www.thestar.com.my/news/n ation/2023/01/09/el-nino-forecast-to- hit-later-this-year-say-experts
      • [3] Aryal, A., Ghahramani, A., & Becerik- Gerber, B. (2017). Monitoring fatigue in construction workers using physiological measurements. Automation in Construction, 82, 154- 165.
      • [4] Aziiz, A. D., Koerniawan, M. D., Kawakami, R. I. S. A., Hasebe, H., & Rhamadana, V. E. B. R. Y. A. N. (2020). Thermal Comfort of Workers in Hot-Humid Climate: An Early Consistency Study for Physiology and Psychology Measurements. In Advances in Science and Technology (Vol. 103, pp. 71-81). Trans Tech Publications Ltd.
      • [5] Bendak, S., Jouaret, R., & Rashid, H. (2022). Effects of high ambient temperature on construction workers performance: a longitudinal empirical study. Journal of safety research, 81, 197-202.
      • [6] Bialek, A & Debska, L. (2022). Verification of the selected thermal comfort model in real and simulated conditions. E3S Web of Conferences. 347, 1-5.
      • [7] Chen, A., & Chang, V. W. C. (2012). Human health and thermal comfort of office workers in Singapore. Building and Environment, 58, 172-178.
      • [8] Dutta, P., Rajiva, A., Andhare, D., Azhar, G. S., Tiwari, A., Sheffield, P., & Climate Study Group. (2015). Perceived heat stress and health effects on construction workers. Indian journal of occupational and environmental medicine, 19(3), 151.
      • [9] Fu, C., Mak, C. M., Fang, Z., Oladokun, M. O., Zhang, Y., & Tang
      • [10] T. (2020). Thermal comfort study in prefab construction site office in subtropical China. Energy and Buildings, 217, 109958.
      • [11] Gariazzo, C., Taiano, L., Bonafede, M., Leva, A., Morabito, M., De'Donato, F., & Marinaccio, A. (2023). Association between extreme temperature exposure and occupational injuries among construction workers in Italy: an analysis of risk factors. Environment international, 171, 107677.
      • [12] Hariz, A. A. (2015). The effect of thermal comfort on workers' productivity in an air .conditioned system. UiTM Shah Alam. 24-26.
      • [13] Ismail, A. R., Jusoh, N., Asri, M. A. M., Zein, R. M., & Rahman, I. A. (2020). Experimental Investigation of Workers Physiology under Tropical Climate in Construction Industries. Journal of Advanced Research in Fluid Mechanics and Thermal Sciences.
      • [14] Jia, X., Wang, J., Zhu, Y., Ji, W., & Cao, B. (2022). Climate chamber study on thermal comfort of walking passengers with elevated ambient air velocity. Building and Environment, 218, 109100.
      • [15] Jouaret, R., Bendak, S., & Rashid, H. (2020, September). Effects of Ambient Temperature on Construction Workers Performance and Safety. In 2020 7th International Conference on Frontiers of Industrial Engineering (ICFIE) (pp. 114-118). IEEE.
      • [16] Karthick, S., Kermanshachi, S., & Loganathan, K. (2022). Effect of Cold Temperatures on Health and Safety of Construction Workers. In Tran-SET 2022 (pp. 237-247).
      • [17] Karthik, D., & Rao, C. B. K. (2019). Influence of human parameters on labor productivity in the construction industry. Human Factors, 61(7), 1086- 1098.
      • [18] Kumar, S., Mathur, A., Singh, M. K., & Rana, K. B. (2021). Adaptive thermal comfort study of workers in a mini- industrial unit during summer and winter season in a tropical country, India. Building and Environment, 197, 10787
      • [19] Lala, B., Murtyas, S., & Hagishima, A. (2022). Indoor Thermal Comfort and Adaptive Thermal Behaviors of Students in Primary Schools Located in the Humid Subtropical Climate of India. Sustainability, 14(12), 7072.
      • [20] Lamb, S., & Kwok, K. C. (2016). A longitudinal investigation of work environment stressors on the performance and wellbeing of office workers. Applied Ergonomics, 52, 104- 111.
      • [21] Li, L., Liu, H., Chen, L., & He, J. (2019). Investigation on heat stress of construction workers in summer in Chongqing, China. In E3S Web of Conferences (Vol. 80, p. 03005). EDP Sciences.
      • [22] MET. (2023). Malaysia’s Climate. Retrieved from: https://www.met.gov.my/en/pendidik an/iklim- malaysia/#Relative%20humidity
      • [23] Mohapatra, S., Verma, A., & Girish, N. (2022). Lifting capacity prediction model using physical performance measures among construction workers. Scientific Reports, 12(1), 1- 7.
      • [24] Nico, M. A., Liuzzi, S., & Stefanizzi, P. (2015). Evaluation of thermal comfort in university classrooms through objective approach and subjective preference analysis. Applied ergonomics, 48, 111-120.
      • [25] Nicol, J. F., & Roaf, S. (2017). Rethinking thermal comfort. Building Research & Information, 45(7), 711- 716.
      • [26] Omidvar, A., & Kim, J. (2020). Modification of sweat evaporative heat loss in the PMV/PPD model to improve thermal comfort prediction in warm climates. Building and Environment, 176, 106868.
      • [27] Roelofsen, P., & Jansen, K. (2022). Comfort and performance improvement through the use of cooling vests for construction workers. International Journal of Clothing Science and Technology, (ahead-of- print).
      • [28] Roskams, M., & Haynes, B. (2019). Predictive analytics in facilities management: A pilot study for predicting environmental comfort using wireless sensors. Journal of Facilities Management.
      • [29] Rupp, R. F., Vásquez, N. G., & Lamberts, R. (2015). A review of human thermal comfort in the built environment. Energy and buildings, 105, 178-205.
      • [30] Soebarto, V., Zhang, H., & Schiavon, S. (2019). A thermal comfort environmental chamber study of older and younger people. Building and Environment, 155, 1-14.
      • [31] Song, W., Wang, F., & Wei, F. (2016). Hybrid cooling clothing to improve thermal comfort of office workers in a hot indoor environment. Building and Environment, 100, 92-101.
      • [32] Tang, T., Zhang, Y., Zheng, Z., Zhou, X., Fang, Z., & Liu, W. (2021). Detailed thermal indicators analysis based on outdoor thermal comfort indices in construction sites in South China. Building and Environment, 205, 108191.
      • [33] Wang, Z., de Dear, R., Luo, M., Lin, B., He, Y., Ghahramani, A., & Zhu, Y. (2018). Individual difference in thermal comfort: A literature review. Building and Environment, 138, 181- 193.
      • [34] WBG. (2022). Observed Average Seasonal Maximum Temperature. Retrieved from: https://climateknowledgeportal.world bank.org/country/malaysia/climate- data-historical
      • [35] Wijewardane, S., & Jayasinghe, M. T.R. (2008). Thermal comfort temperature range for factory workers in warm humid tropical climates. Renewable Energy, 33(9), 2057-2063.
      • [36] Yi, W., Zhao, Y., Chan, A. P., & Lam, E. W. (2017). Optimal cooling intervention for construction workers in a hot and humid environment. Building and Environment, 118, 91-11
  • Article Metrics

    Views

    461
  • Copyright and Permissions

    At Guinness Press, authors retain the copyright for all articles published in our journals. These articles are licensed under the open-access Creative Commons CC BY 4.0 license, granting free access for reading and download. Additionally, the original published version must be appropriately cited when reusing or quoting the article. These terms ensure widespread accessibility while ensuring proper attribution to the authors.

    All content published by Guinness Press is safeguarded by international copyright and intellectual property regulations. We kindly request that you honor these protections when utilizing our materials.

    For further information, please contact us at info@guinnesspress.org.