Products Catalog

Specification

Comfort Factors
In general, we think of temperature as the main factor in determining our comfort. However, there are actually three factors that affect thermal comfort:
1. External conditions, which include temperature, humidity and wind
2. Weight of garment and type of clothing
3. Type and level of activity Work, Heat and Comfort
Any activity causes our bodies to generate heat. This heat must be lost or dissipated through our
skin and clothing for the body to maintain its proper temperature balance. If the body cannot lose all the heat it is building up, then heat stress will occur.

There are two primary ways our bodies lose heat:
1. Dry heat transfer— when the surrounding temperature is lower than that of our skin. Since our internal body temperature is over 90° , dry heat transfer takes place most of the time.

2. Evaporative heat transfer— sweating and sweat evaporation. Sweating leaves a layer of moisture on our skin surface; when this water evaporates, our body is cooled. The balance between the heat our bodies create by activity and the heat that is lost through dry and evaporative heat transfer determines how hot or cool we feel. Figure 1 demonstrates this relationship. Note that we will feel warm or hot long before heat stress occurs. Heat stress occurs only when the body is unable to lose all of the heat it is generating.