A team led by the University of Sydney tested simple, low-cost ways to reduce heat stress in Bangladesh garment factories. The study was published in The Lancet Planetary Health on Monday (20 October).
Researchers used a climate-controlled chamber set to 40 degrees Celsius and 38 per cent humidity. They ran 247 trials with 42 participants, with almost equal numbers of men and women. Fans and encouraging drinking water partly recovered productivity losses of up to 15 per cent. An insulated, reflective roof lowered indoor temperature by 2.5 degrees Celsius and reduced heat strain.
Difficult words
- worker — A person who does a job.workers
- heat — High temperature in the environment.heat-related
- humidity — Moisture in the air.
- productivity — The amount of work done in a time.
- solution — A way to solve a problem.solutions
- stress — Mental or emotional tension.stressed
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- Why is it important to improve working conditions for garment workers?
- What other solutions could help workers stay cool?
- How do you think stress affects work performance?
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