Protecting Outdoor Workers from Heat Stress: ISMED-CLIM Living Lab 1

Outdoor wokers - Living Lab1

Protecting Outdoor Workers from Heat and Air Pollution

As the Mediterranean region continues to face rising temperatures and worsening air quality due to climate change, outdoor workers are increasingly vulnerable to health risks such as heat stress, dehydration, and respiratory issues. ISMED-CLIM’s first Living Lab, conducted in Trikala (Greece) and León (Spain), focuses on addressing these risks through a combination of field-based trials and digital technologies.

This Living Lab targets outdoor municipal workers—individuals who regularly perform physical tasks in open environments during the hottest months of the year. A total of 102 participants will be enrolled in a randomized controlled trial to evaluate the impact of personalized interventions on their health and exposure levels.

The core of the intervention is an AI-powered Early Warning and Response System (EWRS). This system uses downscaled, high-resolution weather forecasts to generate real-time risk assessments for each participant. Alerts and personalized recommendations will be delivered via mobile and web-based applications, including written messages and animated videos that explain what actions to take during heatwaves or high-pollution episodes.

Participants will also be equipped with wearable sensors that continuously track physiological indicators (such as heart rate and skin temperature) and environmental conditions (like ambient temperature and particulate matter levels). This data will be stored and analyzed using cloud-based infrastructure, ensuring both security and scalability.

In addition to improving personal safety, this Living Lab will test the technical integration of multiple digital components:

  • AI models trained for local weather forecasting and heat exposure risk
  • Mobile interfaces designed for low-friction user experience
  • Data synchronization protocols to support real-time feedback loops
  • Cloud-based analytics for evaluating intervention impact

By combining environmental forecasting, personal monitoring, and tailored communication, ISMED-CLIM aims to produce evidence on how smart, technology-supported strategies can reduce the health burden of climate change on outdoor workers. The outcomes will inform future adaptation strategies in other Mediterranean cities with similar environmental and occupational challenges.