Industrial Worker Heat-Stress Monitoring System

Problem statement

Workers in foundries, boiler rooms, mines and construction sites often operate in high-temperature environments. Prolonged heat exposure can cause fatigue, dehydration, heat stroke or even death. Traditional monitoring is manual and may not detect risk in time. A continuous, sensor-based heat-stress monitoring solution is required to protect workers.

Abstract

This project implements an IoT-based heat-stress monitoring system using a combination of wearable sensors and ambient environment sensors. A wearable unit worn by the worker measures body temperature and heart rate, while fixed nodes measure ambient temperature and humidity to compute Heat Index or WBGT (Wet Bulb Globe Temperature). An ESP32 or similar controller sends data to a central dashboard. If readings indicate dangerous heat stress, the system sends alerts to supervisors and the worker via buzzer or vibration.

Components required

• ESP32 or ESP8266 microcontroller
• Body temperature sensor (e.g. DS18B20 or skin-contact sensor)
• Heart rate sensor module (e.g. pulse sensor or MAX30100)
• Ambient temperature and humidity sensor (DHT22 / SHT31)
• Vibration motor / buzzer for local alert
• Wi-Fi access point or gateway
• Web or mobile dashboard for supervisors

Block diagram

Working

The wearable node periodically measures the worker’s body temperature and heart rate. At the same time, ambient nodes or the same device measure environmental temperature and humidity. From these values, a heat stress index is computed. The data is sent to a central server in real time. If the index exceeds safe limits or if the worker’s heart rate indicates overexertion, the system triggers local alerts on the wearable and sends notifications to supervisors so that rest or rotation can be arranged.

Applications

• Industrial safety in factories and foundries
• Construction sites and mining operations
• Refineries, power plants and boiler rooms
• Occupational health and safety research