Heat stress in rice vermicelli manufacturing factories

ABSTRACT

Objective: This study provides an assessment of heat stress in indoor rice vermicelli manufacturing factories.

Methods: Worker interviews and heat stress assessments were conducted in food manufacturing factories in Singapore. The Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) and Heat Stress Index (HSI) were used as heat stress indicators.

Results: The highest WBGT and HSI levels recorded in the rice vermicelli manufacturing factories were 36.68°C and 3777 in the drying and steaming process respectively. These levels were above the recommended permissible HSI and WBGT action limit for heat exposure and considered to be high risk.

Conclusion: Workers in indoor rice vermicelli manufacturing factories can be exposed to heat stress, and the current measures in place may not be sufficient to protect workers against heat stress injuries. Preventive measures such as engineering controls and heat acclimatization programs are important.

KEYWORDS:

• Occupational medicine
• occupational disease
• heat stress
• indoor
• heat injuries

Acknowledgments

We would like thank the Occupational Safety and Health Division, Ministry of Manpower, Singapore for providing the resources to organize and support this study.

Financial support

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies, whether in commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.