Thermal comfort analysis of heavy works environments in industrial facilities

Thermal environment is one of the main issues affecting the comfort and productivity of worker in industrial facilities. This study carried out in Yeni Öztürk Makine Kalıp ve San. Tic. Ltd. Şti. investigates the effects of indoor environmental factors on thermal comfort and worker productivity. The most commonly used models for evaluating thermal conditions in indoor environments are: Predicted Mean Vote (PMV) and Predicted Percentage of Dissatisfied People (PPD). This study was carried out by collecting indoor thermal comfort parameters using Testo-180 sensors and conducting a survey throughout four seasons. The effect of thermal comfort on employees was analyzed according to Fanger model indoor thermal comfort parameters (indoor air temperature, radiant temperature, air flow rate and relative humidity). Workers' thermal perceptions confirmed that indoor environmental factors have an impact on thermal comfort and productivity. Since workers in industrial facilities work at higher activity levels with work clothes, the essential verity of this research is that the comfortable ambient temperature may be lower for workers with high metabolic rates. In this regard, when the workwear conditions of employees in industrial facilities were evaluated according to ISO 7730 Annex C, field study results showed that clothing insulation could cause a change in the optimum working temperature between 0.9 ºC and 2.2 ºC. In the industrial facility where this field study was conducted, only a heating system is installed and there is no air-conditioned environment throughout the year. It has been evaluated that the PMV-PPD model can perform better in year-round conditioned environments than in naturally ventilated environments. Design and operation rules for industrial facility buildings should take into account worker productivity and indoor environmental quality parameters. The results of the field study showed that the thermal comfort requirements of heavy workers in industrial facilities can be defined as (-1.0Keyword: Termal konfor = Thermal comfort