Uwe Reischl, professor in the Department of Community and Environmental Health, was an invited speaker at the 2014 Congress of the Namibian Society of Occupational Medicine held on Nov. 8 in Otjiwarongo, Namibia, located in Southwest Africa. Reischl’s presentation, titled “Solar Heat Stress Reduction through Innovative Clothing Design,” described the use of newly developed personal protective equipment designed to reduce the risk of heatstroke and heat exhaustion during exposure to high solar infrared radiation levels.
The new technology is based on data obtained from environmental exposure simulations carried out in the Boise State thermal manikin laboratory. The new designs are considered advantageous for use during outdoor construction and mining operations in Southwest Africa in the summer months.