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Objectives: To provide perspectives from the HEAT-SHIELD project (www.heat-shield.eu): a multinational, inter-sectoral, and cross-disciplinary initiative, incorporating twenty European research institutions, as well as occupational health and industrial partners, on solutions to combat negative health and productivity effects caused by working on a warmer world. Methods: In this invited review, we focus on the theoretical and methodological advancements developed to combat occupational heat stress during the last five years of operation. Results: We outline how we created climate forecast models to incorporate humidity, wind and solar radiation to the traditional temperature-based climate projections, providing the basis for timely, policy-relevant, industry-specific and individualized information. Further, we summarise the industry-specific guidelines we developed regarding technical and biophysical cooling solutions considering effectiveness, cost, sustainability, and the practical implementation potential in outdoor and indoor settings, in addition to field-testing of selected solutions with time-motion analyses and biophysical evaluations. All recommendations were adjusted following feedback from workshops with employers, employees, safety officers, and adjacent stakeholders such as local or national health policy makers. The cross-scientific approach was also used for providing policy-relevant information based on socioeconomic analyses and identification of vulnerable regions considered to be more relevant for political actions than average continental recommendations and interventions. Discussion: From the HEAT-SHIELD experiences developed within European settings, we discuss how this inter-sectoral approach may be adopted or translated into actionable knowledge across continents where workers and societies are affected by escalating environmental temperatures. The study has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the grant agreement No 668786

Many workers are exposed to the effects of heat and often to extreme temperatures. Heat stress has been further aggravated during the COVID-19 pandemic by the use of personal protective equipment to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection. However, workers’ risk perception of heat stress is often low, with negative effects on their health and productivity. The study aims to identify workers’ needs and gaps in knowledge, suggesting the adaptation of measures that best comply with the needs of both workers and employers. A cross-sectional online questionnaire survey was conducted in Italy in the hottest months of 2020 (June–October) through different multimedia channels. The data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics; analytical tests and analysis of variance were used to evaluate differences between groups of workers. In total, 345 questionnaires were collected and analyzed. The whole sample of respondents declared that heat is an important contributor to productivity loss and 83% of workers did not receive heat warnings from their employer. In this context, the internet is considered as the main source of information about heat-related illness in the workplace. Results highlight the need to increase workers’ perception of heat stress in the workplace to safeguard their health and productivity. About two-thirds of the sample stated that working in the sun without access to shaded areas, working indoors without adequate ventilation, and nearby fire, steam, and hot surfaces, represent the main injuries’ risk factors.

Successful implementation of cooling strategies obviously depends on identifying effective interventions, but in industrial settings, it is equally important to consider feasibility and economic viability. Many cooling interventions are available, but the decision processes affecting adoption by end-users are not well elucidated. We therefore arranged two series of meetings with stakeholders to identify knowledge gaps, receive feedback on proposed cooling interventions, and discuss factors affecting implementation of heat-health interventions. This included four meetings attended by employers, employees, and health and safety officers (n = 41), and three meetings attended primarily by policy makers (n = 74), with feedback obtained via qualitative and quantitative questionnaires and focus group discussions. On a 10-point scale, both employers and employees valued worker safety (9.1 ± 1.8; mean±SD) and health (8.5 ± 1.9) as more important than protecting company profits (6.3 ± 2.3). Of the respondents, 41% were unaware of any cooling strategies at their company and of those who were aware, only 30% thought the interventions were effective. Following presentation of proposed interventions, the respondents rated “facilitated hydration”, “optimization of clothing/protective equipment”, and “rescheduling of work tasks” as the top-three preferred solutions. The main barriers for adopting cooling interventions were cost, feasibility, employer perceptions, and legislation. In conclusion, preventing negative health and safety effects was deemed to be more important than preventing productivity loss. Regardless of work sector or occupation, both health and wealth were emphasized as important parameters and considered as somewhat interrelated. However, a large fraction of the European worker force lacks information on effective measures to mitigate occupational heat stress. List of abbreviations: OH-Stress: Occupational heat stress; WBGT: Wet Bulb Globe Temperature

The aim of this study is to evaluate human thermal comfort in different green area settings in the city of Florence by using the Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI). Field measurements of air temperature, solar radiation, relative humidity, wind speed and black globe thermometer were collected during hot summer days in various parts of Cascine Park, the biggest urban park in Florence (Italy). UTCI was evaluated over different surfaces (asphalt, gravel and grass) completely exposed to the sun or shaded by a large lime tree (Tilia × europaea). The results showed strong differences in UTCI values depending on the exposure to tree shade, while no significant difference was found among ground-cover materials when all surfaces were equally exposed to solar radiation. Future studies are needed to investigate the microclimatic effects of different tree species on UTCI.

The increase in average seasonal temperatures has an impact in the occupational field, especially for those sectors whose work activities are performed outdoors (agricultural, road and construction sectors). Among the adaptation measures and solutions developed to counteract occupational heat strain, personal cooling garments represent a wearable technology designed to remove heat from the human body, enhancing human performance. This study aims to investigate the effectiveness and the cooling power of a specific cooling garment, i.e. a ventilation jacket, by quantifying the evaporative heat losses and the total evaporative resistance both when worn alone and in combination with a work ensemble, at three adjustments of air ventilation speed. Standardised "wet" tests in a climatic chamber were performed on a sweating manikin in isothermal conditions considering three clothing ensembles (single jacket, work ensemble and a combination of both) and three adjustments of fan velocity. Results showed a significant increase (p 0.001) in evaporative heat loss values when the fan velocity increased, particularly within the trunk zones for all the considered clothing ensembles, showing that fans enhanced the dissipation by evaporation. The cooling power, quantified in terms of percent changes of evaporative heat loss, showed values exceeding 100% when fans were on, in respect to the condition of fans-off, for the trunk zones except for the Chest. A significant (p 0.01) decrease (up to 42.3%) in the total evaporative resistance values of the jacket, coupled with the work ensemble, was found compared to the fans-off condition. Results confirmed and quantified the cooling effect of the ventilation jacket which enhanced the evaporative heat losses of the trunk zones, helping the body to dissipate heat and showing the potential for a heat adaptation measure to be developed.

The pandemic has been afflicting the planet for over a year and from the occupational point of view, healthcare workers have recorded a substantial increase in working hours. The use of personal protective equipment (PPE), necessary to keep safe from COVID-19 increases the chances of overheating, especially during the summer seasons which, due to climate change, are becoming increasingly warm and prolonged. A web survey was carried out in Italy within the WORKLIMATE project during the summer and early autumn 2020. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to evaluate differences between groups. 191 questionnaires were collected (hospital doctor 38.2%, nurses 33.5%, other healthcare professionals 28.3%). The impact of PPE on the thermal stress perception declared by the interviewees was very high on the body areas directly covered by these devices (78% of workers). Workers who used masks for more than 4 h per day perceived PPE as more uncomfortable (p &lt, 0.001) compared to the others and reported a greater productivity loss (p &lt, 0.001). Furthermore, the study highlighted a high perception of thermal stress among healthcare workers that worn COVID-19-PPE and this enhances the need for appropriate heat health warning systems and response measures addressed to the occupational sector.

COVID 19 is a major planetary emergency and intense workloads and the potential heat stress create critical conditions for healthcare workers. A web survey was carried out in Italy during summer 2020 as part of WORKLIMATE project with the aim of assessing the interaction between Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and heat stress in healthcare workers. Preliminary results on 191 questionnaires show an increase of heat stress perception in the areas covered by PPE determining symptoms such as thirst, sweating and general distress. This information could be useful to allow preventive measure to safeguard health and productivity of these workers.

In operational weather forecasting standard environmental parameters, such as air temperature and humidity, are traditionally used to predict thermal conditions in the future. These parameters, however, are not enough to describe the thermal stress induced by the outdoor environment to the human body as they neglect the human heat budget and personal characteristics (e.g. clothing). The Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) overcomes these limitations by using an advanced thermo-physiological model coupled with a state-of-the-art clothing model. Several systems have been recently developed to operationally forecast human biometeorological conditions via the UTCI, i.e. by computing UTCI from the forecasts of air temperature, humidity, wind speed and radiation as provided by numerical weather prediction models. Here we describe the UTCI-based forecasting systems developed in Czech Republic, Italy, Poland, Portugal and at the pan-European scale. Their characteristics are illustrated and their potential as warning systems for thermal hazards discussed.

GPS collars for wildlife provide a large amount of spatio-temporal location data and are frequently equipped with sensors that record the animal-level environmental temperature at a schedulable sampling frequency. The simultaneous collection of environmental temperature and animal location may contribute not only to deepen the understanding of animal behavior in different climatic conditions, but also to increase the knowledge of climate features in inaccessible areas. The measurement of environmental temperature provided by the sensors, however, can be biased by several factors (e.g., surface temperature of the animal, direct solar radiation, precipitation), so in-depth studies are required to verify the correlation. The aim of this study was to identify an equation for correcting the collar-recorded temperature data, allowing to improve and refine the results obtained by the analysis of spatial data and to highlight the environmental factors having the greatest impact on the accuracy of the measures. Temperature data from GPS collars were obtained within a research on spatial behavior on 11 hinds while spatialized temperature data were obtained from LAMMA-IBIMET dataset. These data showed high correlation and an identical trend, although the GPS collar temperature data was always higher. This model could represent a tool to obtain an accurate measurement of temperatures in complex geographical areas with wild animals but low density of weather stations. The availability of corrected temperature data, recorded simultaneously with the animal location, could be useful for a more accurate comprehension of animal behavior in free-ranging conditions, both in case of forthcoming studies and to valorize existing datasets.

Personal cooling garments (PCGs) can represent an adaptation solution to counteract heat strain and to improve worker's health and productivity (especially for some outdoor work activities as in agriculture and in the construction industry). The cooling effect of a ventilation jacket was preliminarily investigated carrying out “dry” tests in a climatic chamber on a thermal manikin. A standardized condition with air temperature, ta = 22.4 °C, three different adjustments of the fan velocity ( v f = 0, v f = 2 and v f = 4), and three different ensembles (the single jacket, a work ensemble and a combination of both) were considered. Results showed significant increases in dry heat losses (through convection) for the trunk thermal zones, higher when the fans were on, for all the ensembles considered. Percent changes greatly exceeded 100 % for the thermal zones close to the fans. The air ventilation determined significant decreases of the total thermal insulation ( I T ) values (up to 35 %) compared to the fans-off condition, confirming and quantifying the cooling effect of the ventilation jacket.

Outdoor workers are particularly exposed to climate conditions, and in particular, the increase of environmental temperature directly affects their health and productivity. For these reasons, in recent years, heat-health warning systems have been developed for workers generally using heat stress indicators obtained by the combination of meteorological parameters to describe the thermal stress induced by the outdoor environment on the human body. There are several studies on the verification of the parameters predicted by meteorological models, but very few relating to the validation of heat stress indicators. This study aims to verify the performance of two limited area models, with different spatial resolution, potentially applicable in the occupational heat health warning system developed within the WORKLIMATE project for the Italian territory. A comparison between the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature predicted by the models and that obtained by data from 28 weather stations was carried out over about three summer seasons in different daily time slots, using the most common skill of performance. The two meteorological models were overall comparable for much of the Italian explored territory, while major limits have emerged in areas with complex topography. This study demonstrated the applicability of limited area models in occupational heat health warning systems.

During the last few decades, weather circulation type classifications (CTCs) have been widely used to gain insight into processes at the synoptic scale, but also for studying the relationship between atmospheric circulation and surface climate variability. This study aims to evaluate the best performing CTCs based on COST733 software for the stratification of daily ground-level precipitation and surface air temperature across Italy by means of four statistical metrics. Six classification methods belonging to the four COST733 groups (threshold-based, PCA-based, leader algorithms and optimization algorithms) were investigated on 32 and 26 data time series derived from Italian weather stations for daily mean temperature and daily mean precipitation, respectively. CTCs were computed using gridded mean sea level pressure and geopotential height at 500 hPa derived from the NCEP Reanalysis 2 dataset between 1979 and 2015 and tested on three different numbers of classes (8/9, 11/12 and 18 circulation types). Evaluation metrics showed an evident seasonal variability and high-spatial heterogeneity reflecting the geographical complexity of the Italian territory. The study points out that the best classification, both for temperature and precipitation, is strongly dependent on the classification variable (mean sea level pressure and geopotential height at 500 hPa) showing relevant differences between surface temperature and precipitation. A low number of circulation types (8/9) resulted as the most appropriate grouping for the Italian domain and the Principal Component Transversal and Simulated Annealing were the best performing classification procedures for ground-level precipitation and temperature stratification, respectively.

Background: Increasing evidence links meteorological characteristics and air pollution to physiological responses during sports activities in urban areas with different traffic levels. Objective: The main objective of the Smart Healthy ENV (SHE, “Smart Monitoring Integrated System For A Healthy Urban Environment In Smart Cities”) project was to identify the specific responses of a group of volunteers during physical activity, by monitoring their heart rates and collecting breath samples, combined with data on meteorological determinants and pollution substances obtained through fixed sensor nodes placed along city routes and remotely connected to a dedicated data acquisition server. Methods: Monitoring stations were placed along two urban routes in Pisa, each two km long, with one located within the park beside the Arno river (green route) and the other in a crowded traffic zone (red route). Our sample participants were engaged in sports activities (N = 15, with different levels of ability) and were monitored through wearable sensors. They were first asked to walk back and forth (4 km) and then to run the same route. The experimental sessions were conducted over one day per route. A breath sample was also collected before each test. A questionnaire concerning temperature and fatigue perception was administered for all of the steps of the study over the two days. Results: The heart rates of the participants were monitored in the baseline condition, during walking, and while running, and were correlated with meteorological and pollutant data and with breath composition. Changes in the heart rates and breath composition were detected during the experimental sessions. These variations were related to the physical activity and to the meteorological conditions and air pollution levels. Conclusions: The SHE project can be considered a proof-of-concept study aimed at monitoring physiological and environmental variables during physical activity in urban areas, and can be used in future studies to provide useful information to those involved in sports and the broader community.

Land surface temperature (LST) predictors, such as impervious and vegetated surfaces, strongly influence the urban landscape mosaic, also changing microclimate conditions and exacerbating the surface urban heat island (SUHI) phenomenon. The aim of this study was to investigate the summer daytime SUHI phenomenon and the role played by impervious and tree cover surfaces in the 10 Italian peninsular metropolitan cities. Summer daytime LST values were assessed by using MODIS data referred to the months of June, July and August from 2016 to 2018. High spatial resolution (10 m) of impervious surface and tree cover layers was calculated based on open-data developed by the Italian National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research. A novel informative urban surface landscape layer was developed combining impervious surfaces and tree cover densities and its mapping for metropolitan cities was performed. Summer daytime SUHI rose significantly, increased especially in inland cities, by increasing the size of areas with low tree cover densities in the metropolitan core (or decreasing areas with low tree cover densities outside the metropolitan core), further increasing its intensity when the impervious density grew. A mitigating effect of the sea on daytime LST and SUHI was observed on coastal cities. The most intense SUHI phenomenon was observed in Turin (the largest Italian metropolitan city): for every 10% increase in areas with highly impervious surfaces and low tree cover densities in the metropolitan core, the SUHI significantly (p

Climate change will increase the frequency and severity of hazard events such as heat waves, with important effects in several European regions. It is of importance to consider overall effects as well as specific impact on vulnerable population groups such as outdoor workers. The agricultural and construction sectors represent two strategic occupational fields that in relatively recent years involve an increasing number of migrant workers, and therefore require a better management of cultural aspects, that may interact with and impact on heat-related health risk. For this reason, the present study evaluated heat-stress perception and management among native and immigrant workers in Europe. As part of the EU&rsquo, s Horizon 2020 HEAT-SHIELD project (grant agreement No. 668786), two agricultural and one construction companies, traditionally employing migrant workers, were evaluated with a questionnaire survey during the summer months of 2017. The data collected (104 case studies) were analyzed using descriptive statistics (Chi-squared tests) and the analysis of variance was performed with ANOVA test. From the results, migrant workers declared that work required greater effort than do native Italian workers (&chi, 2 = 17.1, p = 0.001) but reported less impact from heat on productivity (&chi, 2 = 10.6, p = 0.014) and thermal discomfort. In addition, migrant workers were mainly informed through written or oral communications, while native workers received information on heat-health issues through training courses. These findings are of importance for future information and mitigation actions to address socio-cultural gaps and reduce heat-stress vulnerability.

BACKGROUND Growing evidence indicates that the exposure to high heat levels in the workplace results in health problems in workers. A meta-analysis was carried out to summarize the epidemiological evidence of the effects of heat exposure on the risk of occupational injuries. METHODS A search strategy was conducted to retrieve studies on the effects of climate change on occupational injury risk. Among the 406 identified, 5 time-series and 3 case-crossover studies were selected for meta-analysis. RESULTS Pooled risk estimates for time-series and case-crossover studies combined, and then separated, were 1.005 (95%CI: 1.001-1009), 1.002 (95%CI: 0.998-1.005), and 1.014 (95%CI: 1.012-1.017), respectively. Subgroup analyses found increased risks (not statistically significant) for male gender, age

Global warming is a phenomenon of rising average temperatures of the earth’s surface that began to develop around the twentieth century.

The abandonment of the traditional pastoral practices is acknowledged as the main causes of the shrub-encroachment in the alpine semi-natural grasslands. In this paper, we proposed a state-and-transition approach in order to organize pastoral vegetation in a simple management-oriented framework integrating ecological data. The study sites were chosen in an inner alpine territory where the abandonment of pastoral practices was more evident than in other alpine regions. Cluster and fuzzy analysis applied to botanical data allowed the classification of six pastoral types and the assessment of the main overlaps between them. Non-parametric tests on Landolt nutrients indices, slope and distance from farm allowed the identification of a gradient linked with nutrients and pastoral practices intensity from rich pastures to shrub encroached pastures. Moreover, the implementation of the available information in a state-and-transition model (STM) allowed us to hypothesize the presence of an ecological threshold between grass-dominated and shrub-dominated grasslands and the identification of the at-risk pastoral types in the shrub-encroachment dynamics.

The frequency of extreme heat events, such as the summer of 2003 in Europe, and their corresponding consequences for human beings are expected to increase under a warmer climate. The joint collaboration of institutional agencies and multidisciplinary approaches is essential for a successful development of heat-health warning systems and action plans which can reduce the impacts of extreme heat on the population. The present work constitutes a state-of-the-art review of 16 European heat-health warning systems and heat-health action plans, based on the existing literature, web search (over the National Meteorological Services websites) and questionnaires. The aim of this study is to pave the way for future heat-health warning systems, such as the one currently under development in the framework of the Horizon 2020 HEAT-SHIELD project. Some aspects are highlighted among the variety of examined European warning systems. The meteorological variables that trigger the warnings should present a clear link with the impact under consideration and should be chosen depending on the purpose and target of the warnings. Setting long-term planning actions as well as pre-alert levels might prevent and reduce damages due to heat. Finally, education and communication are key elements of the success of a warning system Financial support for this work is provided by the HEAT-SHIELD Project (HORIZON 2020, research and innovation programme under the grant agreement 668786).

Global warming alters the hydrological cycle since a rise in temperature leads to an increase in the moisture-holding capacity of the atmosphere at a rate of about 7 %/°C. This fact can influence the global, but also local characteristics of precipitation, such as total amount and intensity. Therefore, it is important to study changes in rainfall regime in regions with complex orography, like Tuscany, where there are strong spatial gradients in precipitation amounts. The aim of this study is to look for temporal change in precipitation from 1955 to 2007 searching for spatial differences. Daily data of 21 meteorological stations were analyzed to identify trends in seasonal and annual precipitation indices. Cluster analysis applied to principal components was applied to identify homogeneous groups of stations. A decrease in precipitation was observed at annual time scale, during winter and spring, especially in northwestern areas. Wet days highlighted a decrease in all of Tuscany, due to the same seasons. In northern Tuscany, the decrease in rainfall amount was mainly determined by a lower frequency of rainy events which in turn caused a decrease in the occurrence of extreme daily precipitation events (75th, 90th, and 95th percentile). In central-southern Tuscany, no significant changes were observed except for an increase in precipitation fraction, due to extreme events and in mean daily total amount for wet days. These results are consistent with recent findings for the Mediterranean area and confirm the usefulness of cluster analysis for the analysis of the spatial distribution of precipitation.

Question: Do leaf functional traits describe variation in the intensity of management in semi-natural grasslands? Location: Mugello, North Apennines, Italy. Methods: In an ecologically homogeneous area, we identified four grassland management practices (three different stocking rates and abandonment for 10 or more years). We measured leaf functional traits (LFT) of three dominant grass species - leaf dry matter content (LDMC), specific leaf area (SLA) and leaf N concentration (LNC) - in two permanent sampling plots per treatment for two consecutive years. Statistical tests and multivariate analysis were employed to compare the traits and analyse their sensitivity in responding to the different management intensities. Results: The robustness of LDMC and SLA in grass species ranking was confirmed. Weighted LDMC and SLA were able to differentiate the most intensely managed site from the others. Conclusions: The results of the weighted LDMC and the weighted SLA encourage further studies aimed at the development of a LFT database for the most common grass species of Apennine semi-natural grasslands. This could be of great help in the development of indicators able to support the formulation of rational management plans for conservation and sustainable animal production. © 2012 International Association for Vegetation Science.

Urban areas are characterized by the very high degree of soil sealing and continuous built-up areas: Italy is one of the European countries with the highest artificial land cover rate, which causes a substantial spatial variation in the land surface temperature (LST), modifying the urban microclimate and contributing to the urban heat island effect. Nevertheless, quantitative data regarding the contribution of different densities of built-up surfaces in determining urban spatial LST changes is currently lacking in Italy. This study, which aimed to provide clear and quantitative city-specific information on annual and seasonal spatial LST modifications resulting from increased urban built-up coverage, was conducted generally throughout the whole year, and specifically in two different periods (cool/cold and warm/hot periods). Four cities (Milan, Rome, Bologna and Florence) were included in the study. The LST layer and the built-up-surface indicator were obtained via use of MODIS remote sensing data products (1km) and a very high-resolution map (5m) of built-up surfaces recently developed by the Italian National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research. The relationships between the dependent (mean daily, daytime and nighttime LST values) and independent (built-up surfaces) variables were investigated through linear regression analyses, and comprehensive built-up-surface-related LST maps were also developed. Statistically significant linear relationships (p

Existing heat&ndash, health warning systems focus on warning vulnerable groups in order to reduce mortality. However, human health and performance are affected at much lower environmental heat strain levels than those directly associated with higher mortality. Moreover, workers are at elevated health risks when exposed to prolonged heat. This study describes the multilingual &ldquo, HEAT-SHIELD occupational warning system&rdquo, platform (https://heatshield.zonalab.it/) operating for Europe and developed within the framework of the HEAT-SHIELD project. This system is based on probabilistic medium-range forecasts calibrated on approximately 1800 meteorological stations in Europe and provides the ensemble forecast of the daily maximum heat stress. The platform provides a non-customized output represented by a map showing the weekly maximum probability of exceeding a specific heat stress condition, for each of the four upcoming weeks. Customized output allows the forecast of the personalized local heat-stress-risk based on workers&rsquo, physical, clothing and behavioral characteristics and the work environment (outdoors in the sun or shade), also taking into account heat acclimatization. Personal daily heat stress risk levels and behavioral suggestions (hydration and work breaks recommended) to be taken into consideration in the short term (5 days) are provided together with long-term heat risk forecasts (up to 46 days), all which are useful for planning work activities. The HEAT-SHIELD platform provides adaptation strategies for &ldquo, managing&rdquo, the impact of global warming.