0223 Occupational heat exposures in industries and renal health – findings from india

Statement of the Problem: Workers labouring in high thermally stressful environments are subjected to heat-strain and risks of heat-related health issues.MethodologyA cross-sectional study was conducted with ~700 workers engaged in heavy/moderate labour from various organised occupational sectors in India. Wet Bulb Globe Temperatures(WBGT) and heat-strain indicators such as Core-body-temperature(CBT), Heart-Rate(HR), Sweat-Rate(SwR), Urine-Specific-Gravity(USG) were measured. A questionnaire captured self-reported health symptoms of workers.FindingsAbout 73% of the WBGT measurements were above prescribed limits(Range:26.5°C–38.7°C) and WBGT>31.0°C was associated with significantly more heat-related health concerns among workers(89% vs 34%). Measured heat-strain indicators were above accepted levels for 60% workers, 72% had symptoms of dehydration and 49% suffered from urogenital issues. Workers had 1.4 times higher odds of heat-strain at WBGTs>29.0°C(CI 1.06 to 1.95; p=0.019), that was more pronounced during hotter seasons (CI 1.41 to 2.53; OR=1.9, p