Currently, environmental quality in industrial areas has been relentlessly pursued. Studies show that the development and involvement in quality programs in many industries bring about productive, administrative and personnel benefits. These quality programs include comfort conditions in the workplace, particularly with respect to temperature. In Brazil, it is mandatory for workplaces to present suitable conditions, with no risk of thermal overload to workers. Quantitative evaluation of thermal overload is performed by the Wet Bulb Globe Thermometer (WBGT) Index. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the WBGT and thermal conditions in the MDF cutting area of a furniture factory. The assessment of occupational exposure to heat was determined using a digital thermal stress meter and techniques of workplace safety and occupational hygiene. The evaluation consisted of analyzing the temperatures from the wet bulb, dry bulb, and globe thermometers. The local thermal conditions were analyzed based on these temperatures and on the type of activity performed by employees in their workplaces. The results showed that, with respect to temperature and type of activity, employees are not exposed to thermal overload, that is, the environment is not unhealthy regarding the physical agent heat; however, the work environment was not considered appropriate with regard to thermal comfort. The effective temperatures evaluated were above the limits set by environmental ergonomics.
work safety; occupational hygiene; ergonomics; heat