The impact of draught related to air velocity, air temperature and workload

This experimental study was designed to test the hypotheses that the effects of draught increase with higher air velocity, with lower air temperature, and with lower workload. Thirty healthy young males were exposed to horizontal draught during 55 min while they operated an arm ergometer in a standi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Applied ergonomics 2001-08, Vol.32 (4), p.407-417
Main Authors: Griefahn, Barbara, Künemund, Christa, Gehring, Ulrike
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Air
Air Movements
Air temperature
Air velocity
Annoyance
Applied physiology
Biological and medical sciences
Draught
Ergonomics. Work place. Occupational physiology
Human physiology applied to population studies and life conditions. Human ecophysiology
Humans
Male
Medical sciences
Skin Temperature - physiology
Statistical analysis
Studies
Temperature
Thermosensing - physiology
Velocity
Workload
Workload - psychology
Workloads
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Summary:This experimental study was designed to test the hypotheses that the effects of draught increase with higher air velocity, with lower air temperature, and with lower workload. Thirty healthy young males were exposed to horizontal draught during 55 min while they operated an arm ergometer in a standing posture. Air velocity, air temperature, and workload were varied in 3 steps each, between 11 and 23°C, 0.1 and 0.3 m/s, and 104 to 156 W/m 2, respectively. The 27 combinations were distributed over subjects in a fractional factorial 3 3-design. The participants were clothed for thermal neutrality. Workload was measured at the end of the sessions by respirometry. Draught-induced annoyance was determined every 5 min, separately for 10 body sites. Corresponding skin temperature was also recorded. The hypotheses were verified for the influence of air velocity and air temperature. Regarding workload, local heat production is probably decisive, meaning that draft-induced local annoyance is inversely related to workload in active but independent from workload in non-active body areas. To improve the situation for the workers concerned it is suggested to apply protective gloves that cover an as great area of the forearms as possible and to limit airflows to mean velocities of less than 0.2 m/s (with turbulence intensities of 50 %).
ISSN:0003-6870
1872-9126
DOI:10.1016/S0003-6870(01)00010-2