With global warming leading to increased extreme weather events and warmer average temperatures, FAME members have been considering using heat stress indices to help manage heat risks for their staff. This paper has been created to summarise the research in this area.

Key takeaways

  • indices can provide indicators of unsafe working conditions, but should not be relied on solely to determine health and safety actions;
  • indices can give average indications of heat stress risks, but are not accurate at an individual level;
  • indices are best used with other tools and methods.

The FAME Health and Safety Working Group creates our Health and Safety Guides to provide detailed practical advice to our members and for the archaeological sector. You can download the guide below. They rarely change but occasional updates do occur and it is best to check this page for the most recent version.

FAME Guide – Heat Stress Indices for Safe Archaeological WorkDownload