Working in Warehouses with Adverse Microclimatic Conditions: Technical Solutions and Evaluation Models

Environmental control is necessary to guarantee the quality of the products throughout the supply chain, i.e., from the producer to the consumer. The improper conservation and handling of goods result in deterioration and economic losses. For example, temperature-controlled environments are necessary for the storage of perishable goods, such as pharmaceutics, fruits, vegetables, dairy, and meat products, while the cold chain prevents the deterioration of these products by maintaining a controlled atmosphere, with a static temperature below − 18 °C or between 0 and 15 °C according to the product. In addition, low oxygen levels and high carbon dioxide levels are maintained in cold warehouses to extend the shelf-life of perishable products. On the contrary, storage warehouses without air conditioning systems are characterized by the achievement of high temperatures during the summer period, presenting significant vertical temperature differences. Despite the progressive automation of logistics processes, some activities, such as maintenance actions and material handling operations, require operator access to these hot and cold environments. Exposure to extreme heat or cold can result in adverse health effects, such as illnesses, injuries, and death. Severe hot and cold environments prevent the achievement of comfort conditions and aggravate muscle strain in the manual handling of loads. Also, low oxygen levels in a controlled atmosphere prevent breathability. This chapter analyses the environmental risk factors associated with warehouses and the effects on operators’ safety and well-being. The aim is to investigate technical solutions and valuation models to safeguard the operators during material handling or maintenance activities in severe hot, cold, or controlled atmosphere environments.