Safety Evaluation of the Lighting at the Entrance of a Very Long Road Tunnel: A Case Study in Ilam

BACKGROUND: At the entrance of a tunnel, reflection of sunlight from the surrounding environment and a lack of adequate lighting usually cause some vision problems. The purpose of this study was to perform a safety evaluation of lighting on a very long road in Ilam, Iran. METHODS: The average luminance was measured using a luminance meter (model S3; Hagner, Solna, Sweden). A camera (model 108, 35-mm single-lens reflex; Yashica, Nagano, Japan) was used to take photographs of the safe stopping distance from the tunnel entrance. Equivalent luminance was determined according to the Holliday polar diagram. RESULTS: Considering the average luminance at the tunnel entrance (116.7 cd/m²) and using Adrian's equation, the safe level of lighting at the entrance of the tunnel was determined to be 0.7. CONCLUSION: A comparison between the results of the safe levels of lighting at the entrance of the tunnel and the De Boer scale showed that the phenomenon of black holes is created at the tunnel entrance. This may lead to a misadaptation of the drivers’ eyes to the change in luminance level at the entrance of the tunnel, thereby increasing the risk of road accidents in this zone.

Validating the heat stress indices for using in heavy work activities in hot and dry climates

Background: Necessity of evaluating heat stress in the workplace, require validation of indices and selection optimal index

The present study aimed to assess the precision and validity of some heat stress indices and select the optimum index for using in heavy work activities in hot and dry climates

Methods: It carried out on 184 workers from 40 brick kilns workshops in the city of Qom, central Iran [as representative hot and dry climates]

After reviewing the working process and evaluation the activity of workers and the type of work, environmental and physiological parameters according to standards recommended by International Organization for Standardization [ISO] including ISO 7243 and ISO 9886 were measured and indices were calculated

Results: Workers engaged in indoor kiln experienced the highest values of natural wet temperature, dry temperature, globe temperature and relative humidity among studied sections [P<0.05]

Indoor workplaces had the higher levels of all environmental parameters than outdoors [P=0.0001], except for air velocity

The wet-bulb globe temperature [WBGT], predicted heat strain [PHS] and heat stress index [HSI] indices had the highest correlation with the physiological parameters. Relationship between WBGT index and carotid artery temperature [r=0.49], skin temperature [r=0.319], and oral temperature [r=0.203] was statistically significant [P=0.006]

Conclusions: Since WBGT index, as the most applicable index for evaluating heat stress in workplaces is approved by ISO, and due to the positive features of WBGT such as ease of measurement and calculation, and with respect to some limitation in application of HSI; WBGT can be introduced as the most valid empirical index of heat stress in the brick workshops