Development of a new sensor fusion algorithm to improve decision support for subjects exposed to heat stress

Team leaders for high risk workers must continuously assess the risk for health damage for their team members. Access to real time physiological information is desirable since it can help in the assessment of workers well-being, and ultimately alert when a worker should be withdrawn from their assig...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Seeberg, Trine Margrethe, Svagård, Ingrid Storruste
Format: Text Resource
Language:English
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Summary:Team leaders for high risk workers must continuously assess the risk for health damage for their team members. Access to real time physiological information is desirable since it can help in the assessment of workers well-being, and ultimately alert when a worker should be withdrawn from their assignment. Heat stress occurs when humidity, air temperature, radiant heat and too little air movement, combined with heavy work and clothing, raise the body temperature beyond safe limits. In effect, heat stress reduces the person’s physical reactivity and ability to reason clearly. A new sensor fusion algorithm, the Physical and Activity Strain Index (PASI) has been developed to improve decision support for workers exposed to heat stress. Fire-fighters (smoke divers) has been used as test case. PASI combines the Physiological Strain Index (PSI) with accelerometer data.The Physical Strain Index developed by Moran [1] is a well accepted index used for monitoring humans working with heat stress. The input parameters are heart rate and core temperature.PASI consists of two parts, the PSI and an Activity Index (AI). As for PSI the output of the algorithm will be a number between 0-10 (for 36.5oC