Influence of thermal microclimate factors on workers` health and the working environment

Od kada je rada i svijesti za zdravljem radnika, od tada se čovječanstvo bavi rješavanjem što sigurnijeg i mikroklimatski što zdravijeg okoliša te toplinski što udobnijim radnim prostorom. Mikroklimatski uvjeti su vrlo bitan element očuvanja ljudskog zdravlja i zadovoljstva na radnom mjestu. Drugim riječima, nepovoljni mikroklimatski uvjeti dovode do zdravstvenih problema koji rezultiraju narušavanjem zdravlja radnika i/ili pojave profesionalnih bolesti zbog čega nepovoljno utječu na radnu sposobnost te dovode do smanjenja učinkovitosti i proizvodnosti samog poduzeća. Mikroklimatski čimbenici se dijele na toplinske te kemijske i biološke. Budući je tema ovoga rada utjecaj toplinskih mikroklimatskih čimbenika na zdravlje radnika i radni okoliš, u radu su pobliže objašnjeni toplinski mikroklimatski čimbenici koji obuhvaćaju: temperaturu zraka, temperaturu zračenja plohe, brzinu strujanja zraka, vlažnost zraka i tlak zraka. Nadalje, opisani su uređaji i postupak mjerenja nabrojenih čimbenika te izrada procjene rizika. Također, definiran je pojam toplinske udobnosti, kao i faktori koji utječu na nju te su obrađeni mogući poremećaji u regulaciji temperature. Opisano je kojim indeksima se ocjenjuje djelovanje topline okoline na udobnost radnika te su navedene mjere zaštite od toplinskih mikroklimatskih čimbenika. Za zadovoljstvo radnika na radnom mjestu vrlo je bitna njihova sigurnost i kvaliteta učinjenoga, jer samo zadovoljan radnik može biti učinkovit radnik.Since the beginning of work and awareness of the health of workers, since then mankind has been dealing with the solution of the safest and microclimate-healthy environment possible, and the most thermally comfortable working space. Microclimatic conditions are a very important element of preserving human health and satisfaction at the workplace. In other words, unfavorable microclimate conditions lead to health problems that result in the deterioration of workers' health and/or the appearance of occupational diseases, which adversely affect the ability to work and lead to a decrease in the efficiency and productivity of the company itself. Microclimatic factors are divided into thermal, chemical and biological factors. Since the topic of this paper is the influence of thermal microclimatic factors on the health of workers and the working environment, thermal microclimatic factors are explained in more detail in the paper, which include: air temperature, surface radiation temperature, air flow speed, air humidity and air pressure. Furthermore, the devices and the procedure for measuring the listed factors and creating a risk assessment are described. Also, the concept of thermal comfort is defined, as well as the factors that influence it, and possible disorders in temperature regulation are addressed. It is described which indices are used to assess the effect of ambient heat on worker comfort, and protection measures against thermal microclimate factors are listed. For the satisfaction of workers at the workplace, their safety and the quality of work are very important, because only a satisfied worker can be an efficient worker