Heatstroke risk assessment method, heatstroke notification method, and heatstroke risk assessment device

Abstract

To enable a worker to take precautions against heat stroke at an early stage.SOLUTION: A heat stroke onset risk evaluation device includes a watch 1, a GPS 2 for detecting position information of a worker P in a factory, a planned work estimation part 4 for estimating a planned work Wp being a plan the worker P engages in on the basis of the position information transmitted from the GPS 2, and a heat stroke onset risk evaluation part 5 for evaluating a heat stroke onset risk on the basis of the planned work Wp estimated by the planned work estimation part 4 and a database storing correspondence between past work content and work places, and the height of past heat stroke onset risks of the worker P. The heat stroke onset risk evaluation part 5 corrects a heat stroke onset risk high in the case of determining that the planned work Wp corresponds to risk work similar to content or a work place of past work having a high heat stroke onset risk or work place.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a heatstroke risk assessment method, a heatstroke notification method, and a heatstroke risk assessment device that estimate a worker's scheduled work based on the worker's location information or its history, and assess the worker's risk of developing heatstroke based on this estimated scheduled work. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a method for assessing the risk of heatstroke by calculating the amount of activity of a worker based on acceleration acquired by an acceleration sensor of a mobile device carried by the worker and assessing the risk of heatstroke of the worker based on this calculated amount of activity. If this method determines that there is a risk of heatstroke, a notification device provided in the mobile device issues a heatstroke warning to the worker. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5776273 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The heatstroke risk assessment method in Patent Document 1 assesses the risk of heatstroke based on the amount of activity, without taking into account the content of the work that will be done, which makes it difficult for workers to take preventive measures against heatstroke early on.

[0005] The present invention has been made with an eye on such problems, and provides a method for assessing the risk of heatstroke, a method for notifying of heatstroke, and a device for assessing the risk of heatstroke, which enable workers to take preventive measures against heatstroke early on. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In this invention, a method for assessing the risk of developing heatstroke estimates the planned work, which is the content or location of the work that a worker is scheduled to engage in, based on the worker's location information or its history, and evaluates the worker's risk of developing heatstroke based on this estimated planned work and a database that stores correspondence between the content or location of past work and the worker's past risk of developing heatstroke.If the planned work is risky work similar to the content or location of work that has previously been associated with a high risk of developing heatstroke, the risk of developing heatstroke is corrected to be higher. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, workers can take preventive measures against heat stroke at an early stage. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of a heatstroke development risk assessment device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] 1 is a graph showing the risk of developing heatstroke versus time, used to determine the risk of developing heatstroke for scheduled work at time t1. [Figure 3] 10 is a graph showing the risk of developing heatstroke versus time, used to determine the risk of developing heatstroke for scheduled work at time t2. [Figure 4] 1 is a flowchart showing a method for assessing the risk of developing heatstroke using the heatstroke risk assessment device of the first embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of a heatstroke risk assessment device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of a heatstroke risk assessment device according to a third embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of the surrounding area of ​​a heatstroke development risk assessment unit in a heatstroke development risk assessment device according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a heatstroke notification system applicable to the heatstroke development risk assessment devices according to the first to fourth embodiments. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart showing a heatstroke notification method. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] A first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0010] 1 shows a heatstroke risk assessment device that estimates the planned work Wp that a worker P is scheduled to perform based on location information of the worker P within a factory, and assesses the worker's risk of heatstroke based on this estimated planned work Wp and a database described below. From the start of work to the end of work, the worker P performs various tasks associated with the manufacture of products on a production line (not shown) in the factory, and picks and transports products or parts from a storage warehouse, a series of steps that are repeated multiple times.

[0011] Heatstroke is a condition that occurs when the body loses water through sweating during exercise or work in a hot and humid environment, disrupting the balance between water and salt in the body and resulting in a decline in the body's regulatory functions. Symptoms include dizziness, headache, convulsions (heat cramps), and fainting (heat syncope). For example, heat cramps occur when the skin temperature rises during exercise or work in a hot and humid environment, which promotes sweating and disrupts the balance between water and salt in the body. Note that "high temperature and humidity" are not essential conditions for the onset of heatstroke; heatstroke can occur even in environments with high temperatures and humidity if the skin temperature rises significantly due to increased exercise or workload. Heatstroke, including heat cramps, is difficult to detect on its own, and it is difficult to take appropriate measures before heatstroke actually develops.

[0012] The heatstroke risk assessment device comprises a wearable watch 1 (hereinafter referred to as "watch 1"), which is a portable terminal that can be worn around the wrist; a GPS 2 that detects the location information of worker P within the factory; a planned work estimation unit 4 provided on a management server 3 that estimates the planned work Wp that worker P is scheduled to perform based on the location information (changes in the location information) transmitted from the GPS 2; a database DB that stores correspondence between the content and location of past work and the worker's past risk of developing heatstroke; a heatstroke risk assessment unit 5 provided on the management server 3 that assesses the risk of developing heatstroke based on the estimated planned work Wp and the database DB; and a first risk correction unit 6 provided on the management server 3 that corrects the risk of developing heatstroke based on the time the location information was acquired.

[0013] The watch 1 includes a location information acquisition unit 7 that acquires the location information of the worker P transmitted from the GPS 2, a time acquisition unit 8 that acquires the time the location information was acquired, and a risky work content output unit 9 that is a heatstroke risk output unit that outputs the heatstroke risk. Note that the location information acquisition unit 7 and the time acquisition unit 8 may be provided on the management server 3 rather than being built into the watch 1. Also, instead of using the watch 1, a smartphone may be used as a mobile terminal.

[0014] The location information acquisition unit 7 compares the worker P's coordinate information on the earth obtained by communicating with the GPS 2 with the location on the map where the worker P is performing the work, thereby obtaining the location information of the worker P. More specifically, the location information acquisition unit 7 compares the worker P's coordinate information on the earth obtained from the GPS 2 with the location on the map where the worker P is performing the work over a predetermined period of time, thereby obtaining changes in the worker's location information. Alternatively, instead of using the GPS 2, the location information acquisition unit 7 may compare the coordinate information obtained by communicating with a Bluetooth (registered trademark) communication device worn by the worker P with the location on the map where the worker P is performing the work, thereby obtaining the worker P's location information and changes thereto. Alternatively, instead of using the GPS 2 or a Bluetooth (registered trademark) communication device, the location information acquisition unit 7 may compare the coordinate information obtained by communicating with a mobile phone line communication device worn by the worker P with the location on the map where the worker P is performing the work, thereby obtaining the worker P's location information and changes thereto.

[0015] The scheduled work estimation unit 4 performs machine learning on the changes in location information acquired by the location information acquisition unit 7 and outputs the results as a machine learning model to estimate the scheduled work Wp that worker P is scheduled to perform. More specifically, if there is a predetermined change in location information at a predetermined location in the area from the factory production line to the storage warehouse, the scheduled work estimation unit 4 estimates that worker P is likely to be performing specific work content with a certain workload at that location. For example, if there is a change in location information at a picking area in the factory, it estimates that worker P is likely picking items in the picking area.

[0016] Furthermore, if there is no change in the location information, it is likely that worker P is sitting, for example, and staying at a limited point in the area between the production line and the storage warehouse, so it can be assumed that the worker is performing a task with a relatively light workload at that point, such as inspecting a product.

[0017] In addition, the scheduled work estimation unit 4 may estimate the scheduled work Wp of the worker P based on a database that stores the history of the location information, specifically the correspondence between the location information and its changes and the work content, rather than machine learning the changes in the location information.

[0018] The heatstroke risk assessment unit 5 determines whether the scheduled work Wp is a risky work similar to the work content or location that has previously posed a high risk of heatstroke, based on the scheduled work Wp estimated by the scheduled work estimation unit 4 and a database DB that stores correspondence between the content or location of past work and the level of risk of heatstroke for workers in the past.

[0019] The scheduled work Wp will now be described with reference to Figure 2. Time t0 in Figure 2 indicates the time when worker P starts work in the factory, while time t1 indicates a time later than time t0, 9:47 (9:47) in this example, and indicates the time when the scheduled work Wp is estimated. Note that this scheduled work Wp is actually estimated at each time from time t0 to time before time t1, but for the sake of convenience, Figure 2 shows an example in which the scheduled work Wp is estimated based on time t1.

[0020] For example, at time t1, 9:47, the temperature (air temperature) rises as noon approaches and the workload also tends to increase, so the scheduled work Wp calculated at 9:47 rises from 9:47, drops temporarily during the lunch break, but rises again and reaches the specified danger level R, which is the criterion for the onset of heatstroke, at time tx, around 15:00 in this example. Also, at time t2, 15:38 (15:38), the temperature is lower than at noon and the workload tends to decrease, so the scheduled work Wp calculated at 15:38 falls in the area below the specified danger level R and finally reaches zero at the end of work time t3, as shown in Figure 3.

[0021] Furthermore, the curved dashed line L1 on the upper side of Figure 2 indicates one past risk task determined based on the database DB, i.e., one past risk task based on the content or location of the task that posed a high risk of heatstroke to worker P in the past. Meanwhile, the curved dashed line L2 on the lower side of Figure 2 indicates another past risk task determined based on the database DB, i.e., another past risk task based on the content or location of the task that posed a high risk of heatstroke to worker P in the past. Risk tasks similar to the two past risk tasks described above, i.e., risk tasks to be compared with the scheduled task Wp, are calculated based on the dashed lines L1 and L2. In this example, the risk task to be compared with the scheduled task Wp is not shown because it overlaps with the scheduled task Wp.

[0022] The heat stroke risk assessment unit 5 determines whether or not the scheduled work Wp that the worker P is scheduled to perform after 9:47, which is the time t1, is a risky work.

[0023] If the scheduled work Wp is a risky work, the heatstroke risk assessment unit 5 corrects the heatstroke risk to a higher level. More specifically, the heatstroke risk assessment unit 5 evaluates the heatstroke risk on a four-level scale: "none," which indicates no risk of heatstroke; "low," which indicates a low risk of heatstroke; "medium," which indicates a higher risk of heatstroke than "low," and "high," which indicates a higher risk of heatstroke than "medium." The heatstroke risk assessment unit 5 corrects the risk by one level between "none" and "high." For example, if the heatstroke risk before correction was "none," it is corrected to "low."

[0024] The first risk corrector 6 corrects the risk of developing heatstroke based on the time acquired by the time acquirer 8. For example, in FIG. 2, when the time acquirer 8 acquires time t1, 9:47, it is highly likely that worker P will develop heatstroke around 3:00 PM, so the first risk corrector 6 corrects the risk of developing heatstroke, for example, from "low" to "medium." Also, for example, in FIG. 3, when the time acquirer 8 acquires time t2, 3:38 PM, it is considered that worker P will always be working in a range below the predetermined danger level R and will not develop heatstroke, so the first risk corrector 6 corrects the risk of developing heatstroke, for example, from "low" to "none."

[0025] The risky work content output unit 9 is a display provided on the watch 1, and outputs the risk of developing heatstroke. In this embodiment, the risky work content output unit 9 displays the message "Picking - danger around 15:00!" at 9:47 based on the scheduled work Wp and the risky work determined at 9:47, as shown in Figure 1, thereby indicating that there is a possibility that worker P may develop heatstroke while performing picking work around 15:00.

[0026] Next, a method for assessing the risk of heatstroke using the heatstroke risk assessment device will be described with reference to Fig. 4. In Fig. 4, an example of estimating a scheduled work Wp at time t1 will be described.

[0027] First, in step S1, the location information acquisition unit 7 acquires the location information of the worker P transmitted from the GPS 2. When acquiring this location information, the change in the location information from the time t0 when the work starts to the time t1, which is 9:47, is acquired.

[0028] Simultaneously with acquiring the location information, in step S2, the time acquiring unit 8 acquires 9:47, which is the time when the location information was acquired.

[0029] Next, in step S3, the scheduled work estimation unit 4 estimates a scheduled work Wp that the worker P is scheduled to perform after 9:47, based on the change in the position information from time t0 to 9:47.

[0030] After estimating the scheduled work Wp, in step S4, the heatstroke risk assessment unit 5 assesses the risk of heatstroke for the worker P based on the estimated scheduled work Wp and the risky work. If the estimated scheduled work Wp is determined to be risky work, the worker P is deemed to have a possibility of developing heatstroke, and the risk of heatstroke is assessed to be, for example, "low." Next, in step S5, the first risk corrector 6 corrects the risk of developing heat stroke, for example, from "low" to "medium" based on 9:47 acquired by the time acquirer 8.

[0031] Next, in step S6, the heatstroke risk assessment unit 5 determines whether there is a risk of heatstroke. That is, the heatstroke risk assessment unit 5 determines whether the risk of heatstroke is "low," "medium," or "high." If there is a risk of heatstroke, the process proceeds to step S7, and the risky work content output unit 9 outputs the relevant content, that is, the content and time of the work that could result in heatstroke. In this example, the risky work content output unit 9 displays the content "Picking - danger around 3:00 PM!" at 9:47.

[0032] Furthermore, if it is determined in step S6 that there is no risk of developing heatstroke, the heatstroke risk assessment unit 5 assesses that there is no risk of developing heatstroke, and the process returns to step S1.

[0033] As described above, in this embodiment, the scheduled work estimation unit 4 estimates the scheduled work Wp that the worker P is scheduled to perform by machine learning changes in the location information of the worker P, and the heatstroke risk assessment unit 5 assesses the heatstroke risk of the worker P based on the estimated scheduled work Wp and the risky work. If the scheduled work Wp is determined to be risky work and there is a risk of heatstroke, the heatstroke risk assessment unit 5 corrects the heatstroke risk to a higher level. In this way, estimating the scheduled work Wp based on changes in the location information of the worker P allows the content of the upcoming work from the time the scheduled work Wp is estimated until the end of the shift and the workload associated with this content to be estimated. Therefore, the risk of heatstroke can be known before the time when the worker P may actually develop heatstroke, and preventive measures against heatstroke can be taken early. In particular, in this embodiment, the scheduled work Wp is estimated at each time immediately after work begins, so the risk of heatstroke can be known immediately after work begins, and preventive measures against heatstroke can be taken early, for example, around 9:00 a.m.

[0034] Furthermore, in this embodiment, if it is determined that there is a risk of heatstroke, the risk work content output unit 9 outputs the work content and time at which heatstroke may occur. This allows the worker P to know what work content may cause heatstroke at what time, and to take more appropriate measures against heatstroke, for example, by hydrating immediately before performing work that may cause heatstroke.

[0035] FIG. 5 shows a heatstroke risk assessment device according to the second embodiment.

[0036] In the second embodiment, the heatstroke risk assessment device has a recommended action output unit 10 that outputs the content of the action recommended to the worker P when the scheduled work Wp is determined to be a risky work. The recommended action output unit 10 is a display provided on the watch 1, and following the message "Picking: Dangerous around 3 PM!" displayed by the risky work content output unit 9 in the first embodiment, displays the message "Rehydrate. Take some salt candy" at 9:47, as shown in FIG. 5. This allows the worker P to maintain a balance of water and salt in his body before heatstroke occurs, thereby reducing the possibility of suffering from heatstroke.

[0037] FIG. 6 shows a heatstroke risk assessment device according to the third embodiment.

[0038] In the third embodiment, the watch 1 includes, in addition to the location information acquisition unit 7, an acceleration sensor that detects the acceleration of the worker P and an acceleration acquisition unit 11 that acquires the acceleration from the acceleration sensor. The location information acquisition unit 7 and the acceleration acquisition unit 11 may be provided on a management server (not shown) rather than being built into the watch 1. The planned work estimation unit 4 estimates the planned work Wp of the worker P based on changes in the location information acquired by the location information acquisition unit 7 and the acceleration acquired by the acceleration acquisition unit 11. Since the acceleration of the worker P is used to determine the worker P's workload, for example, if the worker P is jogging while transporting a product, the workload can be considered higher than when the worker P is normally transporting a product. By using the acceleration in addition to changes in the location information, the specific workload for the work performed at a specific location can be obtained. Therefore, even if the risk of heatstroke is determined to be low at 9:00 a.m., if the worker P's acceleration increases over time and the workload increases, the risk of heatstroke is determined to be high.

[0039] As described above, in this embodiment, the scheduled work estimation unit 4 estimates the scheduled work Wp of the worker P based on changes in position information and acceleration. Therefore, the actual workload based on acceleration is acquired, improving the accuracy of the estimation of the scheduled work Wp of the worker P, and therefore the time when heat stroke may occur can be more accurately estimated, enabling the worker P to take measures against heat stroke more efficiently.

[0040] FIG. 7 shows the surrounding area of ​​the heatstroke risk assessment unit in the heatstroke risk assessment device of the fourth embodiment.

[0041] In the fourth embodiment, a watch (not shown) has a temperature sensor and a humidity sensor. Furthermore, in the fourth embodiment, the heatstroke risk assessment device further includes an environmental information acquisition unit 12 provided in the watch that acquires environmental information around the worker, in this embodiment, temperature and humidity, and a second risk correction unit 13 provided on the management server that corrects the heatstroke risk based on the environmental information acquired by the environmental information acquisition unit 12. Note that the environmental information acquisition unit 12 may be provided on the management server instead of on the watch.

[0042] The environmental information acquired by the environmental information acquisition unit 12 basically consists of temperature, humidity, wind speed, solar radiation, radiant heat, and weather, but it is sufficient to use at least one or a combination of two or more of these parameters. The wind speed, solar radiation, radiant heat, and weather are acquired based on the worker's location information and an application installed on the watch.

[0043] The second risk corrector 13 corrects the risk of heatstroke to be higher the higher the temperature and humidity, for example, correcting the risk of heatstroke from "low" to "medium" as shown in Fig. 7. This correction takes into consideration the fact that when working in a hot and humid environment, moisture in the body is easily lost through sweating, which can disrupt the balance between moisture and salt in the body and cause heat cramps, one symptom of heatstroke.

[0044] As described above, the second risk correction unit 13 corrects the risk of developing heatstroke based on environmental information such as temperature and humidity. Therefore, the risk of developing heatstroke is calculated taking into account the imbalance between water and salt, which affects heat cramps, allowing workers to take measures against heatstroke more efficiently.

[0045] FIG. 8 shows a heatstroke warning system that can be applied to the heatstroke development risk assessment devices according to the first to fourth embodiments.

[0046] In the fifth embodiment, the watch 1 is equipped with a heart rate sensor, an acceleration sensor, a temperature sensor, and a humidity sensor.

[0047] The heatstroke warning system includes a biometric information acquisition unit 14 that acquires biometric information of worker P, in this embodiment, heart rate and acceleration, an environmental information acquisition unit 12 that acquires environmental information around the worker, in this embodiment, temperature and humidity, a heatstroke level estimation unit 15 that estimates the heatstroke level, which is the degree of heatstroke that worker P will develop, based on the biometric information and environmental information, a heatstroke notification unit 16 that notifies the worker P when the estimated heatstroke level exceeds a predetermined threshold Y, and a heatstroke level output unit (not shown) that outputs the heatstroke level.

[0048] The biometric information basically consists of startup biometric information measured when watch 1 is started, such as heart rate, skin temperature, blood pressure, sweat rate, and exercise intensity, basic biometric information of worker P, such as height, weight, and body fat percentage, and acceleration used to determine worker P's workload, but it is sufficient to use at least one or a combination of two or more of these parameters.

[0049] The skin temperature, blood pressure, and sweat rate are acquired by a skin temperature sensor, a blood pressure sensor, and a sweat rate sensor, respectively, provided in the watch 1.

[0050] Regarding blood pressure, for example, people with high blood pressure often limit their salt intake, and because their bodies excrete excess water in response to the reduced salt intake in order to maintain the balance between salt and water, people with high blood pressure tend to have less water in their bodies than the average person. Therefore, when people with high blood pressure work in a hot and humid environment, they lose water through sweating, which disrupts the balance between salt and water and makes them more susceptible to heat cramps, a symptom of heat stroke, so blood pressure can be used as biometric information related to heat stroke.

[0051] Furthermore, exercise intensity indicates the load or difficulty of exercise, and is calculated based on the heart rate.

[0052] The heatstroke level estimation unit 15 estimates a basic heatstroke level indicating the degree of heatstroke that the worker P may develop in the future based on the heart rate and acceleration transmitted from the biometric information acquisition unit 14 and the temperature and humidity transmitted from the environmental information acquisition unit 12. That is, the heatstroke level estimation unit 15 comprehensively evaluates the heart rate, acceleration, temperature, and humidity acquired before the time when heatstroke may actually occur, for example, several hours before, and quantifies them, for example, within a range of 0 to 100. The basic heatstroke level is estimated based on this quantified value. The heatstroke level increases as the heart rate, acceleration, temperature, and humidity increase. More specifically, in a hot and humid environment where the temperature and humidity are relatively high, the heart rate tends to increase. Furthermore, when acceleration is high, the workload is also high and the heart rate increases. This promotes cutaneous vasodilation, making it difficult for blood to move to the brain, which increases the likelihood of heatstroke syncope, one of the symptoms of heatstroke. In this embodiment, the heatstroke level is divided into four stages, "0," "1," "2," "3," and "4," in order from lowest to highest, as shown in FIG.

[0053] The heatstroke notification unit 16 notifies the worker P that there is a possibility of developing heatstroke when the basic heatstroke level estimated by the heatstroke level estimation unit 15 exceeds a predetermined threshold Y, which in this embodiment is the lower limit of the heatstroke level of "3." The heatstroke notification unit 16 also corrects the threshold Y based on the heatstroke risk assessed by the heatstroke risk assessment unit 5 in the first to fourth embodiments described above. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8 , the heatstroke risk assessed before the actual time at which heatstroke may occur, for example, several hours before, is "high," indicating a high possibility of developing heatstroke. Therefore, the heatstroke level threshold Y is corrected from the lower limit of "3" to the lower limit of "2." Then, when the heatstroke level exceeds the lower limit of "2" before the actual time at which heatstroke may occur, the heatstroke notification unit 16 issues an alarm, i.e., notifies the worker P that there is a possibility of developing heatstroke.

[0054] Next, a heatstroke warning method will be described with reference to FIG.

[0055] First, in step S21, the biometric information acquiring unit 14 acquires the heart rate and acceleration as biometric information, and the environmental information acquiring unit 12 acquires the temperature and humidity as environmental information.

[0056] Next, in step S22, the heatstroke level estimation unit 15 estimates the heatstroke level based on the heart rate, acceleration, temperature, and humidity.

[0057] After estimating the heatstroke level, in step S23, the threshold Y of the heatstroke level is corrected based on the heatstroke risk assessed by the heatstroke risk assessment unit 5 of the first to fourth embodiments. In this embodiment, the threshold Y is corrected from the lower limit of the heatstroke level "3" to the lower limit of "2".

[0058] Then, in step S24, it is determined whether the heatstroke level has exceeded the corrected threshold Y. If the heatstroke level has exceeded the corrected threshold Y, the process proceeds to step S25, where the heatstroke notification unit 16 issues an alert to the worker P. This prompts the worker P to take measures to prevent heatstroke, such as rehydrating.

[0059] Also, in step S25, if the heatstroke level is equal to or lower than the corrected threshold value Y, the heatstroke notification unit 16 does not operate, and the process returns to step S21.

[0060] In this embodiment, the heatstroke level estimation unit 15 estimates a basic heatstroke level based on biometric information such as heart rate and acceleration, and environmental information such as temperature and humidity. By using heart rate and acceleration to estimate a basic heatstroke level in this way, heatstroke can be predicted for each individual worker P, and appropriate preventive measures can be taken for each worker P at an early stage.

[0061] 8 and 9, an example of estimating a heatstroke level based on biological information including heart rate and acceleration and environmental information including temperature and humidity has been described. However, a heatstroke level may also be estimated based on only biological information or environmental information. For example, the heart rate, which is biological information, is suitable for determining heat syncope, which is one symptom of heatstroke, as described above, so the heatstroke level can be determined using only biological information. Furthermore, for example, the temperature, which is environmental information, can be used to determine the heatstroke level. For example, in a welding area in a factory, workers must work in a hotter environment than in other areas such as an assembly area. Sweating disrupts the balance of water and salt in the body, making them more susceptible to heat cramps, one symptom of heatstroke. Therefore, the heatstroke level can be determined using only environmental information. [Explanation of symbols]

[0062] 1···Watch 2. GPS 4. Planned work estimation part 5. Heatstroke Risk Assessment Section 7...Location information acquisition section 8...Time acquisition section 9. Risk work content output section 11...Acceleration acquisition section 14. Biometric information acquisition unit 15. Heatstroke level estimation section 16. Heatstroke Notification Department

Claims

1. Obtaining worker location information to be used in determining the risk of heatstroke, Based on the acquired location information or its history, a planned work, which is the content or location of the work that the worker is scheduled to engage in, is estimated; The risk of heat stroke of the worker is evaluated based on the estimated scheduled work and a database that stores correspondence between the content or location of past work and the level of risk of heat stroke of the worker in the past, outputting the risk of developing heat stroke; A method for assessing the risk of heatstroke, characterized in that if the planned work is risky work that is similar in content or location to work that has previously been associated with a high risk of heatstroke, the risk of heatstroke is increased.

2. The method for assessing the risk of heatstroke as described in claim 1, characterized in that obtaining the worker's location information includes comparing the worker's coordinate information on the earth obtained by communicating with a GPS with the position on a map where the worker is performing work to obtain the worker's location information.

3. The method for assessing the risk of developing heatstroke described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that obtaining the worker's location information includes comparing coordinate information obtained by communicating with a Bluetooth (registered trademark) communication device worn by the worker with the position on a map where the worker is performing work to obtain the worker's location information.

4. A method for assessing the risk of developing heatstroke as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that obtaining the worker's location information includes comparing coordinate information obtained by communicating with a mobile phone line communication device worn by the worker with the position on a map where the worker is performing work, to obtain the worker's location information.

5. A method for assessing the risk of developing heatstroke according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that outputting the risk of developing heatstroke includes outputting content corresponding to the risky work.

6. A method for assessing the risk of developing heatstroke described in any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that outputting the risk of developing heatstroke includes outputting the content of actions recommended for the worker.

7. acquiring an acceleration of the worker; A method for assessing the risk of developing heatstroke described in any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that estimating the scheduled work includes estimating the scheduled work based on the acceleration and the location information or its history.

8. acquiring environmental information around the worker; The method for assessing the risk of developing heatstroke according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising correcting the risk of developing heatstroke based on the environmental information.

9. 9. The method for assessing the risk of developing heatstroke according to claim 8, wherein the environmental information is any one of temperature, humidity, wind speed, solar radiation, radiant heat, and weather, or a combination of two or more of these.

10. acquiring the time when the location information was acquired; The method for assessing the risk of developing heatstroke according to any one of claims 1 to 9, further comprising correcting the risk of developing heatstroke based on the time.

11. Acquire biometric information of the worker; A heatstroke level, which is the degree of heatstroke that the worker will develop, is estimated based on the acquired biological information or environmental information around the worker; If the estimated heatstroke level exceeds a predetermined threshold, a notification to that effect is given. A heatstroke notification method including outputting the heatstroke level, A heatstroke notification method characterized in that the notification of the heatstroke level is performed by correcting the threshold value based on the heatstroke development risk according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. The heatstroke notification method according to claim 11, characterized in that the biometric information is one of the worker's heart rate, skin temperature, blood pressure, sweat rate, exercise intensity, height, weight, and body fat percentage, or a combination of two or more of these.

13. A heatstroke risk assessment device comprising: a location information acquisition unit that acquires location information of a worker; a planned work estimation unit that estimates a planned work, which is the content of work that the worker is scheduled to engage in or a work location, based on the location information acquired by the location information acquisition unit or its history; a heatstroke risk assessment unit that assesses the heatstroke risk of the worker based on the planned work estimated by the planned work estimation unit; and a heatstroke risk output unit that outputs the heatstroke risk, The heatstroke risk assessment unit uses a database that stores the correspondence between the content or location of past work and the worker's past risk of developing heatstroke to determine whether the planned work is risky work similar to the content or location of work that has previously had a high risk of developing heatstroke, and if it determines that it does, corrects the risk of developing heatstroke to a higher level.This heatstroke risk assessment device is characterized by the above.

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