What is the role of ventilation in preventing heat stress?

• A. It minimizes noise.
• B. It helps to cool down the work environment.
• C. It increases humidity to improve comfort.
• D. It filters chemical vapors only.

Answer: (B)

Ventilation helps prevent heat stress by cooling the work environment through exchanging hot indoor air with cooler outdoor air and by moving air around the workspace. When hot air and high humidity build up, the body's ability to cool itself through sweating and convection is hindered. Introducing cooler, drier air and removing the warm, moist air lowers the ambient temperature and humidity, making it easier for workers to shed heat. This reduces physiological strain and lowers the risk of heat-related illnesses.

Noise control isn’t the main way ventilation affects heat stress, and increasing humidity can actually make cooling harder, while filtering vapors is a separate function from addressing heat stress.