8. Heat and cold stress

Background
A distinction can be made between heat and cold stress (extreme situations) and problems regarding indoor climate (temperate conditions). In this section we will mainly focus on (extreme) cold and hot conditions, both indoors and outdoors. Technological cold can be mainly found in the food industry (walk-in coolers and freezers, fisheries, slaughterhouse, ...) while technological heat can be found in industries with high process temperatures (bakery, steel- and glass production, boiler houses, kitchens, fire-brigade, ...). Up to a certain level, the human body can deal with thermal stress (thermoregulation): vasodilation and sweating occur upon heat stress and shivering and vasoconstriction upon cold stress. Uponcold and heat stress, the most important adverse health effects occur in situations when it is no longer possible to keep the body temperature sufficiently under control (frostbite, coldinjuries, hypothermia upon cold stress, heat rash, edema, dehydration, cramps, heat stroke upon heat stress).

Legislation

Standards

Documentation

Tools

Websites