As extreme heat blankets the globe from Phoenix to Athens, entrepreneurs are responding with an array of personal cooling devices that can help reduce health risks for everyone from infants to outdoor workers..
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At Tokyo's annual Extreme Heat Countermeasures Exhibition last week the focus was on how to keep workers in high-temperature environments, like construction sites and factories, cool and reduce the risk of heat stroke. As fossil fuel emissions accelerate climate change and with July set to become the world's hottest month on record, there is growing appetite for the products from consumers and public institutions.
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Tokyo-based Kuchofuku Co. has been making fan-equipped apparel like vests and jackets favored by many Japanese construction workers for decades. The company has redesigned some of its products as casual wear and home products for general consumers.
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Kuchofuku's mattress, which is made of a sheet of flexible, mesh-like padding, has an electricity-powered fan at the foot that sucks air from the headboard to boost circulation and keep sheets dry.
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Earth Blower Japan produces large-scale fans nearly 2 meters (6 feet 6 inches) tall that blew visitors passing its booth with a strong breeze. Fans come in a variety of models, with names of Japanese deities, like thunder god "Raijin" or wind god "Fujin Max."
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Fans can also limit power costs. Although expenses vary according to the cost of electricity, Ohashi said running its biggest fan for eight hours a day for a month excluding weekends typically only costs around 10,000 yen ($72).
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Many of the products on display targeted outdoor workers. Because of Japan's aging population many of its laborers at construction sites or in agriculture are at higher risk of heat stroke.
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Hyogo prefecture-based Toyo Safety Industrial Co. showcased a safety helmet with a fan installed at the base that circulates air around the wearer's head. The fans that are detachable and rechargeable.
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Tokyo-based Biodata Bank Inc. has developed a wearable device that alerts people when they are at risk of heatstroke. Its Heat Warning Watch Canaria beeps when the wearer's core body temperature exceeds unhealthy levels. Priced at 4,950 yen, the watch can be used for four months without charging. The device is aimed at outdoor workers and athletes.
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Manufacturer A-Mec Co. developed a mesh vest with pockets to carry cold packs for dogs to keep pets cool in hot weather. The vests, which come in four sizes and range in price between 4,950 yen and 7,150 yen, are also sold in the US market.
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