Publications

AbstractThe Occupational Health and Safety Administration has identified indoor industries at risk of experiencing heat-related illnessesdue to the presence of heat-generating appliances; these include bakeries, kitchens, laundries, and furnaces. This study aimedto assess the effects of heat stress on haematological parameters and erythrocyte sedimentation rates (ESR) of bakery workersin Ilorin, Kwara State. It was a cross-sectional study, involving laboratory analysis, which lasted for 3 months. A total of 60 Maleand female bakery workers aged between 18 and 65 years with 1 or more years of working experience were recruited for thisstudy. Full blood count estimation was carried out using haematological analyzer (Sysmex-2000) and the ESR was carried outusing the Westergren method in the Haematology unit, Kwara State University, Malete. Results were analyzed using SPSS version20. This study found the bakery workers to have low ESR (2.13 ± 1.28) compared to (10.05 ± 4.95) of the control, the RBC washigh (6.708 ± 2.08) compared to (5.46 ± 1.12) of the control group. TWBC was also found to be high (7.425 ± 1.74) comparedto (6.95 ± 2.49) of the control population. Findings from this study concluded that working under high temperatures negativelyaffected the health of bakery workers with reports of heat stress-related symptoms and also affected ESR and haematologicalparameters. A comprehensive and effective national occupational health and safety program that includes relevant policies,decrees, and proper enforcement is needed to ensure the worker’s safety and health both in the formal and the fast-growinginformal sectors.Abbreviations: ESR = erythrocyte sedimentation rate, LYM = lymphocyte, MCV = Mean Cell Volume, RBC = red blood cell,TWBC = total white blood cell.Keywords: bakery workers, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, haematological parameters, heat stress