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Abstract Introduction Heat stress will worsen in developing nations with large informal economies and manual labor, affecting health and productivity. Materials and Methods We examined seasonal heat exposures, job-specific workload (WL), heat-related illness (HRI) symptoms, and productivity loss (PL) in 275 informal agriculture workers between 2018 and 2022 to determine if heat combined with manual workload is associated with HRIs. HSIs were measured using established procedures. For varying WLs, heat stress was defined as exceeding the WBGT-Threshold Limit Value (TLV). Results The average summer WBGT was 29.9±3.3°C and winter WBGT was 27.6±2.3°C. In the summer, 95% of workers were exposed to WBGTs that exceeded the TLVs, while in the winter, about 47% were exposed to WBGTs above the TLVs. 80% of workers exhibited HRI symptoms, 39% had HSI symptoms, and 65% reported PL. Statistically significant positive associations were observed between WL and the incidence of HRI (AOR: 4.6; 95% CI: 1.7-12.1) and HSI (AOR: 12;95% CI:1.5-97.5) after controlling for potential confounders. In comparison with workers with moderate WL, those with heavy WL had an 11.5 times higher risk of PL (95% Cl: 2.4-54.0). Conclusions In Indian informal sectors, both summer and winter temperatures exceeded the TLV for safe working conditions. Heat and manual workload are significant predictors of dehydration, HRIs, and, decreased worker productivity. When heavy workloads are combined with high workplace WBGTs, the risk of HRIs is significantly increased. To protect millions of informal workers globally from heat impacts, it is urgent to develop culturally sensitive interventions, especially in a rising temperature scenario.
Venugopal et al. (Mon,) studied this question.