Identifying and ranking the strategies of control exposure to heat stress in the rubber industry using a Delphi method and combination of Fuzzy AHP and TOPSIS approach

Heat stress is one of the most important occupational hazards that threaten the health of employees in many workplaces. This hazard is more important in the industries with hot processes, such as rubber industry. Therefore, control of this harmful agent is one of the essential measures and priorities of manager in these industries. The purpose of this study was to identifying and ranking the strategies of control exposure to heat stress using the Delphi method and the combination of FAHP and TOPSIS approach in the rubber industry.

This qualitative cross-sectional study was carried out in three stages. In the first step, the most important criteria and control measures of heat stress (alternatives) in the rubber industry were identified using the Delphi method. In the second stage, the criteria were weighted using the FAHP technique. Finally, alternatives were prioritized based on the TOPSIS method. Data analysis was performed using Excel and Super Decision Software.

The results of the paired comparison of the criteria with the FAHP technique showed that the “efficiency of control measure” was most important criteria with a relative weight of 0.141. Also, the final results of the study showed that among all control measures of heat stress in the rubber industry, “insulating or enclosing of heat source (insulation materials)” is the best with a relative weight of 0.582.

This study propose the integrated approach of Delphi, FAHP and TOPSIS in order to select the best strategies for controlling heat stress in the rubber industry. The results of this research can be used as the guidance for managers to making the scientific decisions and selecting the appropriate strategy for controlling heat stress in the rubber industry