Extract

Construction site is the workplace of 8.9 per cent working population in Australia whereas heat stress is a concerning risk. This paper presents initial results of a field study conducted on the site of a mega construction project in Australia in the build-up season (a three months’ period of transition between dry and wet seasons) and the wet season respectively. Heat stress was recorded on a daily basis at three typical workspaces on site: rooftop, at the jetty and in the material storage yard. Data were analysed with the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature and the Predicted Heat Strain model. The on-site recorded data were compared to the data recorded at the nearest station of Bureau of Meteorology, up to 7.7 oC difference between the two sources of data was identified. Comparison between the two seasons indicate that heat stress in the build-up season has a higher risk than that of the wet season, although the latter is normally assumed to be ‘hotter’. The results suggest the organising and practicing of work activities construct the pattern of heat stress as critically as does the objectively measured environmental heat.

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