PROCEEDINGS of the HUMAN FACTORS SOCIETY-23rd ANNUAL MEETING-1979 EVALUATION OF STATIC WORK CAPABILITIES IN A HOT ENVIRONMENT

The effects of heat stress on an individual's static work capabilities were investi-gated. Various indicators of strength and endurance were measured under differing heat stress levels. One measure which exhibited a significant change at higher heat stress levels was a combined strength-endurance measurement involving a series o f maximal volun-tary contractions throughout a one hour exposure. At 35O C WBGT the decrease in MVC from the beginning of the exposure to the end was 43 % compared to only 6 % at 18O C WBGT. Core temperature was a l so monitored throughout each exposure