An occupational heat-health warning system for Europe: The HEAT-SHIELD platform

Marco Morabito; Alessandro Messeri; Pascal Noti; Ana Casanueva; Alfonso Crisci; Sven Kotlarski; Simone Orlandini; Cornelia Schwierz; Christoph Spirig; Boris René Motrona Kingma; Andreas D Flouris; Lars Nybo

doi:10.3390/ijerph16162890

An occupational heat-health warning system for Europe: The HEAT-SHIELD platform

Marco Morabito^*, Alessandro Messeri, Pascal Noti, Ana Casanueva, Alfonso Crisci, Sven Kotlarski, Simone Orlandini, Cornelia Schwierz, Christoph Spirig, Boris René Motrona Kingma, Andreas D Flouris, Lars Nybo

^*Corresponding author for this work

The August Krogh Section for Human Physiology

18 Citations (Scopus)

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Abstract

Existing heat-health warning systems focus on warning vulnerable groups in order to reduce mortality. However, human health and performance are affected at much lower environmental heat strain levels than those directly associated with higher mortality. Moreover, workers are at elevated health risks when exposed to prolonged heat. This study describes the multilingual "HEAT-SHIELD occupational warning system" platform (https://heatshield.zonalab.it/) operating for Europe and developed within the framework of the HEAT-SHIELD project. This system is based on probabilistic medium-range forecasts calibrated on approximately 1800 meteorological stations in Europe and provides the ensemble forecast of the daily maximum heat stress. The platform provides a non-customized output represented by a map showing the weekly maximum probability of exceeding a specific heat stress condition, for each of the four upcoming weeks. Customized output allows the forecast of the personalized local heat-stress-risk based on workers' physical, clothing and behavioral characteristics and the work environment (outdoors in the sun or shade), also taking into account heat acclimatization. Personal daily heat stress risk levels and behavioral suggestions (hydration and work breaks recommended) to be taken into consideration in the short term (5 days) are provided together with long-term heat risk forecasts (up to 46 days), all which are useful for planning work activities. The HEAT-SHIELD platform provides adaptation strategies for "managing" the impact of global warming.

Original language	English
Article number	2890
Journal	International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Volume	16
Issue number	16
Number of pages	21
ISSN	1661-7827
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16162890
Publication status	Published - 2 Aug 2019

Keywords

Faculty of Science
Worker
Customized forecast
Wet-Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT)
Risk level
Heat adaptation
Work breaks
Hydration
European Center for Medium Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF)
Global warming

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.3390/ijerph16162890Licence: CC BY

Morabito et al_International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health_Vol 16(16)_e2890Final published version, 5.35 MBLicence: CC BY

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Morabito, M., Messeri, A., Noti, P., Casanueva, A., Crisci, A., Kotlarski, S., Orlandini, S., Schwierz, C., Spirig, C., Kingma, B. R. M., Flouris, A. D., & Nybo, L. (2019). An occupational heat-health warning system for Europe: The HEAT-SHIELD platform. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(16), Article 2890. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16162890

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abstract = "Existing heat-health warning systems focus on warning vulnerable groups in order to reduce mortality. However, human health and performance are affected at much lower environmental heat strain levels than those directly associated with higher mortality. Moreover, workers are at elevated health risks when exposed to prolonged heat. This study describes the multilingual {"}HEAT-SHIELD occupational warning system{"} platform (https://heatshield.zonalab.it/) operating for Europe and developed within the framework of the HEAT-SHIELD project. This system is based on probabilistic medium-range forecasts calibrated on approximately 1800 meteorological stations in Europe and provides the ensemble forecast of the daily maximum heat stress. The platform provides a non-customized output represented by a map showing the weekly maximum probability of exceeding a specific heat stress condition, for each of the four upcoming weeks. Customized output allows the forecast of the personalized local heat-stress-risk based on workers' physical, clothing and behavioral characteristics and the work environment (outdoors in the sun or shade), also taking into account heat acclimatization. Personal daily heat stress risk levels and behavioral suggestions (hydration and work breaks recommended) to be taken into consideration in the short term (5 days) are provided together with long-term heat risk forecasts (up to 46 days), all which are useful for planning work activities. The HEAT-SHIELD platform provides adaptation strategies for {"}managing{"} the impact of global warming.",

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AU - Crisci, Alfonso

AU - Kotlarski, Sven

AU - Orlandini, Simone

AU - Schwierz, Cornelia

AU - Spirig, Christoph

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N2 - Existing heat-health warning systems focus on warning vulnerable groups in order to reduce mortality. However, human health and performance are affected at much lower environmental heat strain levels than those directly associated with higher mortality. Moreover, workers are at elevated health risks when exposed to prolonged heat. This study describes the multilingual "HEAT-SHIELD occupational warning system" platform (https://heatshield.zonalab.it/) operating for Europe and developed within the framework of the HEAT-SHIELD project. This system is based on probabilistic medium-range forecasts calibrated on approximately 1800 meteorological stations in Europe and provides the ensemble forecast of the daily maximum heat stress. The platform provides a non-customized output represented by a map showing the weekly maximum probability of exceeding a specific heat stress condition, for each of the four upcoming weeks. Customized output allows the forecast of the personalized local heat-stress-risk based on workers' physical, clothing and behavioral characteristics and the work environment (outdoors in the sun or shade), also taking into account heat acclimatization. Personal daily heat stress risk levels and behavioral suggestions (hydration and work breaks recommended) to be taken into consideration in the short term (5 days) are provided together with long-term heat risk forecasts (up to 46 days), all which are useful for planning work activities. The HEAT-SHIELD platform provides adaptation strategies for "managing" the impact of global warming.

AB - Existing heat-health warning systems focus on warning vulnerable groups in order to reduce mortality. However, human health and performance are affected at much lower environmental heat strain levels than those directly associated with higher mortality. Moreover, workers are at elevated health risks when exposed to prolonged heat. This study describes the multilingual "HEAT-SHIELD occupational warning system" platform (https://heatshield.zonalab.it/) operating for Europe and developed within the framework of the HEAT-SHIELD project. This system is based on probabilistic medium-range forecasts calibrated on approximately 1800 meteorological stations in Europe and provides the ensemble forecast of the daily maximum heat stress. The platform provides a non-customized output represented by a map showing the weekly maximum probability of exceeding a specific heat stress condition, for each of the four upcoming weeks. Customized output allows the forecast of the personalized local heat-stress-risk based on workers' physical, clothing and behavioral characteristics and the work environment (outdoors in the sun or shade), also taking into account heat acclimatization. Personal daily heat stress risk levels and behavioral suggestions (hydration and work breaks recommended) to be taken into consideration in the short term (5 days) are provided together with long-term heat risk forecasts (up to 46 days), all which are useful for planning work activities. The HEAT-SHIELD platform provides adaptation strategies for "managing" the impact of global warming.

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KW - Customized forecast

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KW - Heat adaptation

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KW - Hydration

KW - European Center for Medium Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF)

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JF - International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

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ER -

An occupational heat-health warning system for Europe: The HEAT-SHIELD platform

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

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