Guide

How is thermal comfort assessed?

Temperature alone is not enough: humidity, air velocity, radiation, workload and clothing are assessed together.

Six variables

Thermal comfort is the joint result of six variables: air temperature, mean radiant temperature, humidity, air velocity, the person's workload and the insulation of their clothing. An assessment that looks only at a thermometer cannot explain why nobody feels the same at the same temperature.

Comfort versus strain

Comfort is a matter of satisfaction; heat strain is a matter of health. In hot work the assessment goes beyond comfort: fluid loss, rest intervals and exposure duration become the subject.

Cold is a risk too

Cold reduces manual dexterity and attention, causing accidents indirectly. In cold work, glove selection, warming breaks and wind effect enter the assessment.

The order of solutions

First address the source: insulation, screening, ventilation, separating the heat source. Then the work arrangement: rotation, breaks, distributing the workload. Personal equipment last.

In Optifora

The thermal assessment is kept with the measurement record; the result ties to the work-rest arrangement and to health surveillance.

  1. Measure the variablesMeasure temperature, humidity, air velocity and radiation together.
  2. Determine the workloadAssess the physical load of the work being done.
  3. Account for clothingTake the insulation of clothing and equipment into account.
  4. Separate strainDetermine whether this is comfort or heat or cold strain.
  5. Solve at sourceConsider insulation, ventilation and separation first.
  6. Set the arrangementWhere needed, plan the work-rest pattern and breaks.

Manage this in Optifora

Optifora is not a single program but a compliance platform assembled from modules. The catalogue states which module is ready today and which is on the roadmap.

See what Optifora is