Association between Exposure to Extreme Temperature and Injury at the Workplace

Abstract

Exposure to extreme temperature is a critical occupational risk factor. This study aimed to investigate the association between exposure to extreme temperatures and injury at the workplace using data from 92,238 workers (46,175 male and 46,063 female) from the 2014 and 2017 Korean Working Condition Survey. Exposure to extremely high or low temperatures, injury experiences, and personal protective equipment (PPE) wearing behavior were investigated using a questionnaire. Logistic regression analyses were performed to investigate the association between exposure to extreme temperature and injury experience. The association between injury experience and PPE wearing behavior was analyzed for each exposure group. After adjusting for individual and occupational factors, the odds ratios (ORs) for injury experience were 2.06 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.78-2.38) and 1.64 (95% CI: 1.44-1.85) in both high and low temperature exposure groups, respectively, and 1.45 (95% CI: 1.15-1.83) for those not wearing PPE when exposed to high temperature. There was no significant association shown with wearing PPE and injury experience in the low temperature exposure group. Exposure to extreme temperature tended to increase the risk of injury, and was higher in workers not wearing PPE in high temperature. PPE that can be worn comfortably in high temperature is needed to prevent occupational injury.