Hana Fajrianti, a Postgraduate student of the Faculty of Public Health (FKM) Universitas Indonesia (UI), was successfully selected as the sole representative from Indonesia at the International Student Symposium (ISS)–Malaysian Industrial Hygiene Association International Conference & Exhibition 2024 and 7th Asian Network of Occupational Hygiene Conference 2024 which took place on Sunday, October 20, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. This achievement shows UI’s role as the number 1 state university in Indonesia that continues to encourage its students to appear and contribute in international forums.
ISS aims to connect postgraduate students who are conducting research in the fields of OHS, industrial hygiene, and risk management. This symposium invites students to present their research to the international community, including practitioners, academics, and OHS professionals, as well as a platform to share knowledge, expand networks, and receive input from experts to improve the quality of research and understanding of OHS practices.
At this symposium, Hana presented her research titled “Understanding Heat Stress Challenges in the Tropics: Perspectives from Indonesian Construction Laborers” in the podium presentations session. This research focuses on the perception and awareness of Indonesian construction workers regarding heat stress, the availability of measures to reduce the risk of heat stress, and evaluating the impact of environmental heat exposure on worker well-being and safety in various types of construction projects.
“Construction workers in tropical areas, such as Indonesia, face unique challenges due to exposure to high temperatures. Heat stress can pose significant health and safety risks, especially in the civil construction sector where workers often perform physically demanding tasks under the hot sun,” said Hana. This research uses a data-driven approach, including quantitative analysis such as Spearman correlation analysis and logistic regression to understand the influence of variables such as project type, scope of work, duration of working hours, and worker age on the risk of heat stress.
Hana’s research results show that workers in construction and architectural projects are at higher risk of dehydration and fatigue. Concrete recommendations based on Hana’s research findings, namely the implementation of a combination of heat stress management training and the provision of physical facilities such as shelter and drinking water as an effective approach to reducing the risk of heat stress. Hana said that this activity was very useful for honing collaboration skills, exchanging knowledge, and increasing capacity to identify and control health risks in the work environment.
Acting Dean of FKM UI, Dr. Ir. Asih Setiarini, M.Sc., expressed her appreciation and pride for Hana Fajrianti’s achievements. “Congratulations and high appreciation to Hana Fajrianti, a student of the FKM UI Master of Occupational Health and Safety Study Program for her achievement as the only representative from Indonesia in the International Student Symposium. The success of FKM UI students in this kind of international competition proves FKM UI’s potential in its internationalization mission. As the best university in Indonesia, UI continues to support students in developing their potential to excel at the global level,” said Dr. Asih.
