Occupational Hot Exposures: A Review of Heat and Mass Transfer Theory

Abstract

The assessment and control of hot working environments is based on an appraisal of the thermal interaction between an individual and the surroundings. This paper examines in detail the processes of convection, radiation and evaporation which constitute the principal mechanisms for this interaction. The defining equations are discussed with particular attention given to the appropriate numerical values of body heat and mass transfer coeficients. The use of the heat-mass transfer analogy for the prediction of the mass transfer coefficient is introduced and verified. Finally, recommendations are given as to the most appropriate set of energy exchange equations for use in the analysis of high-temperature environments. The physiological criteria involved in hot working conditions, and the generation of a suitable assessment procedure based on the energy exchange equations, are the subject of a companion paper.