Construction Health and Safety

Construction workers have to work outdoors for long hours under hot and humid weather conditions which may affect their health. Although a significant body of literature has been dedicated to research on clothing and thermoregulation, little is known about the potential effects of clothing on the thermal physiological and perceptual responses of construction workers. Wearing appropriate clothing is an important site safety measure to be taken in hot weather in the construction industry. However, uniform design is traditionally not based on scientific evidence and there is little research on how suitably designed work clothing can adequately protect construction workers from heat stress. To alleviate health hazards, an anti-heat stress construction uniform was developed and licensed to the Construction Industry Council (CIC) in 2015. The uniform was adopted as an industry standard in 2017. The new uniform yields notably 20% cost reduction and enhanced functionality. During the period of September 2016 - December 2018, a total of 116,000 pieces of anti-heat stress shirts and 36,000 pairs of trousers have been ordered by over 50 contracting companies and HK Government Departments/public bodies/NGOs. The technology was further licensed to Macau workers engaging in construction, gardening, logistics, and drainage services.