Citation

Ramsey JD, Kwon YG. Int. J. Ind. Ergonomics 1992; 9(3): 245-257.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1992, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Research concerning the effects of heat on task performance has been extensive and contradictory. This paper summarizes over a hundred and fifty studies where performance has been reported as a function of temperature, exposure time and type of task. It suggests that prediction of performance loss first requires categorizing the type of tasks since mental or very simple tasks typically show little decrement in the heat and are frequently enhanced during brief exposures. Other perceptual motor tasks collectively depict a pattern of onsett of performance decrement in the 30[deg]C-33[deg]C WBGT temperature range, and the decrement appears to be relatively independent of exposure time. This is the same temperature range as that associated with the onset of physiological heat stress for the worker performing sedentary or very light work. It appears that performance decrement may be better explained by body temperatures, as indicated by the head or blood temperature, than by the deep body temperature.