The comparison study of office workers’ workplace health hazards in different type of buildings

I. Vilcane¹, V. Urbane¹, P. Tint²⋅*, J. Ievins¹

¹Riga Technical University, Faculty of Economics, Institute of General and Civil Safety, Kalnciema Str. 6, LV-1048 Riga, Latvia 2Tallinn University of Technology, Faculty of Economics, Department of Work Environment and Safety, Ehitajate 5, EE19086 Tallinn, Estonia; *Correspondence: piia.tint@ttu.ee

Abstract:

The aim of the study is to investigate the office-workers’ working conditions in the ordinary and atrium-type buildings. The indoor climate conditions in the cold season in two type of university buildings are presented. The air temperature is on the good level in the both of the buildings. The rooms in the atrium-side of the building A are too tight and the ergonomics is not considered designing the workplaces in the office-rooms. In the auditoriums of the building B it is too noisy (over 70 dB(A)) during the breaks that prevents the rest and the communication between the workers and students. The air humidity is too low in both type of the buildings (< 30% in the cold season, when the rooms are central-heated). It is recommended to moisten the air in the rooms artificially. For the health risk assessment in the workrooms a flexible risk assessment model is used. The risk levels for the indoor climate factors are different in the two type of buildings.

Key words:

Modelling of heat exchange of milking parlour

S. Toropov, B. Reppo, A. Leola and V. Palge

Institute of Technology, Estonian University of Life Sciences,Kreutzwaldi 56, 51014 Tartu, Estonia

Abstract:

Unheated cowsheds are light constructions and can be referred to as sheds with outdoor climate, because the temperatures in the cowshed and milking parlour are almost identical to the outdoor climate. Control of the complicated temperature conditions in a milking parlour requires an adequate survey of the situation. The aim of the present study was to prepare a heat exchange model for a milking parlour and testing its workability by experimentally studying the indoor air temperature of the original object. The dynamic model of the heat balance of a milking parlour of an uninsulated cowshed is presented. Powersim Studio 7 environment was used for modelling the heat situation in a side-by-side milking parlour for 40 cows. Input and reference data of the model consist of the data on indoor climate measured at the original object, the farm for 600 cows, in winter. To get the necessary initial data for compiling the model, the indoor and outdoor temperatures of the milking parlour were measured, their daily values varying 8.75…17.81°C and 1.1…6.2°C, respectively. The composite model describes the actual situation with sufficient adequacy. So, with cows in the milking parlour, the measured indoor temperatures were practically of the same value withthose obtained by modelling, the values differed only by 3…4 deg that can be considered acceptable and applicable when evaluating the heat conditions of a milking parlour. The created dynamic heat exchange model for a milking parlour of an unheated cowshed is applicable for making practical decisions and can be used for design and control of the heat situation at the milking parlour.

Key words:

indoor climate, uninsulated cowshed, work environment