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Occupational Medicine 2000;50:259-263
© 2000 Society of Occupational Medicine

The Risk of Heat Exhaustion at a Deep Underground Metalliferous Mine in Relation to Body-Mass Index and Predicted VO2max

A. M. Donoghue*, and G. P. Bates{dagger}

* The Minerals Industry Safety and Health Centre, University of Queensland Brisbane, Australia
{dagger} The School of Public Health, Curtin University Perth, Australia

The risk of heat exhaustion at a deep underground metalliferous mine was assessed in relation to the body-mass index (BMI) and predicted maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) of miners, using case-control methodology. Sixty-five cases of acute heat exhaustion and 119 controls were studied. Heat exhaustion cases had a significantly higher BMI than controls (P=0.006). The odds ratios increased with BMI. For a BMI of 32.00–36.99, compared to a BMI of less than 27.00 the odds ratio was 3.63 (95% confidence interval, 1.42–9.36). VO2max was not significantly lower in cases than controls. The odds ratios for heat exhaustion increased with decreasing VO2max but not significantly. The sample size provided 80% power of detecting an odds ratio of 2.5 or greater. Deep underground miners should be advised to maintain a BMI of 24–27. Selection of miners on the basis of BMI should not be used as an alternative to satisfactory engineering controls such as ventilation and refrigeration.

Keywords      Aerobic fitness; heat exhaustion; heat strain; heat stress; maximal oxygen uptake; mining; obesity; thermal; underground

Received       16 December 1999
Accepted        8 March 2000

Correspondence to: Dr A. Michael Donoghue, Senior Research Fellow, The Minerals Industry Safety and Health Centre, Frank White Annexe, University of Queensland, Brisbane QLD 4072, Australia. Tel: +61 7 33658296; fax: +61 7 33658361. e-mail: a.m.donoghue{at}mirimet.uq.edu.au


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