Golser / Getty Images People working outside must take precautions against the effects of intense heatGolser / Getty Images
In very hot weather, people working outdoors have to make a decision between keeping up the pace to maintain productivity, or taking a break to avoid passing out from the intense heat. To help with the decision, the Jorge Duprat Figueiredo Foundation for Occupational Health and Safety (Fundacentro) launched Monitor IBUTG, a tool that estimates the environmental heat received by the body based on atmospheric data and the metabolic heat of people exposed to it based on their clothes and activities—clothing that is impermeable to sweat can increase the index by up to 10 degrees Celsius (ºC). Atmospheric data for the latest few hours is pulled from the Brazilian National Institute of Meteorology (INMET) and simulations for the following days are from the National Institute for Space Research (INPE). The program can thus inform users of their risk of exposure to heat in almost real time, for any location in Brazil, and for a variety of working conditions. For example, a farmer in fabric overalls working in temperatures of up to 33 ºC on a farm in Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo State, is recommended to take extra breaks and alternate activities that involve less exposure to the sun. The tool is available online at monitoributg.fundacentro.gov.br or via mobile apps for Android and iOS (Fundacentro Newsletter, December 20, 2023).
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