UConn’s Korey Stringer Institute Opens New Occupational Heat Safety Lab

The Korey Stringer Institute (KSI) at UConn has unveiled a new state-of-the-art facility to support its growing work on occupational heat safety. The National Laboratory for Occupational Heat Safety at UConn’s Korey Stringer Institute Powered by Magid & MISSION officially opened on November 12 with a ribbon cutting ceremony at the 750-square-foot site in Gampel Pavilion.

KSI has a close relationship with both MISSION and Magid to evaluate the effectiveness and impact of their products through KSI’s robust scientific testing and research capabilities.
The National Lab for Occupational Heat Safety is KSI’s second state-of-the-art facility on UConn’s campus to conduct its heat safety research, the first being the MISSION Heat Lab which opened in 2017.

Founded in 2009 by a group of world-class athletes, including Serena Williams, Dwyane Wade, and Drew Brees, MISSION is a leader in head-to-toe cooling and heat-relief product innovations designed to improve safety and performance for anyone who works, plays, or lives in the heat. With a strong commitment to addressing heat-related risks, MISSION has established its Heat Health™ & Safety division, focused on providing comprehensive solutions that enhance employee safety in high-temperature environments.

Founded in 1946, Magid is a fourth-generation and family-owned leader in the safety industry using in-house manufacturing and a worldwide network of suppliers to create personal protective equipment innovations.
Alongside being able to study the impact of heat, humidity, sun, and wind, the new facility will allow KSI’s team of researchers to expand their work to altitude up to 12,000 feet. The facility contains equipment that can remove oxygen from the air, mimicking high-altitude conditions.

KSI has been a global leader in heat safety research since its founding in 2010. Its work focuses on three populations: athletes, warfighters, and laborers. Because of its specialized research capabilities and unique expertise, KSI serves as a heat mitigation provider for some of America’s largest companies, like Delta Airlines and UPS, to tackle the health and economic impact of heat stress. KSI is located within UConn’s College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources (CAHNR), and the institute recently expanded with a satellite lab, KSI at UNF, within the Brooks College of Health at the University of North Florida.

As the planet continues to warm, the need for research on laborer heat safety has only been increasing, calling for KSI to expand its research capacity.

For more information, visit https://uconn.edu.