Univ. of Connecticut opens facility to study occupational heat safety

The Korey Stringer Institute at the University of Connecticut recently opened a new facility to study occupational heat safety.

The institute studies the impact of heat, humidity, sun, and wind on laborers, athletes, and members of the military. The institute is partnered with MISSION, a leader in head-to-toe cooling and heat-relief product innovations, and Magid, a personal protective equipment maker.

The new facility will allow KSI’s researchers to expand their study on the impact of working in altitudes up to 12,000 feet. The facility contains equipment that can remove oxygen from the air, mimicking high-altitude conditions.

“Heat is an ever-present risk in an ever-warming climate, and it’s likely going to continue increasing at an exponential pace,” says Douglas Casa, the institute’s CEO and a Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor in Kinesiology at UConn. “Each ensuing year will likely have greater risk than the year before.”