Climate Change Exposes Millions of Workers to Extreme Heat and Health Risks
A recent study by the United Nations (UN) has revealed a grim reality: over 2.4 billion people are projected to face extreme heat at work, with over 70% of workers worldwide experiencing health hazards due to climate change.
The International Labour Organisation (ILO) research indicates that excessive heat, intense weather, solar UV radiation, and air pollution have contributed to a sharp increase in various diseases, significantly impacting workers’ safety and well-being globally.
The survey estimates that over 26.2 million individuals suffer from chronic kidney disease linked to job heat stress, while 18,970 deaths are attributed to occupational accidents caused by extreme heat each year. Additionally, exposure to air pollution annually claims the lives of over 860,000 outdoor workers, while solar UV radiation is responsible for over 19,000 deaths from non-melanoma skin cancer.
Occupational Safety and Heat-Related Deaths on the Rise
Heat-related illnesses are becoming a growing safety and health concern for workers worldwide, especially in the United States, where average temperatures continue to rise. According to the Bureau of Labour Statistics, heat exposure resulted in 56 worker deaths in 2020 and 36 fatalities in 2021.
A recent tragic incident in Florida highlights the importance of heat exposure prevention. A 26-year-old man working in an open sugarcane field succumbed to heat-related injuries when the heat index reached 97 degrees. The Department of Labour (DOL) faulted a contractor for failing to provide the worker with adequate protection.
Call for Urgent Action
The ILO’s Manal Azzi emphasizes the need to integrate occupational safety and health considerations into climate change policies and actions. She underscores that rising heat levels pose a significant and growing threat to workers’ safety and health.
The DOL statistics reveal that from 1992 to 2021, heat exposure caused the deaths of 999 US workers, averaging 33 fatalities annually. However, the FDA acknowledges that the data on heat-associated occupational illnesses, injuries, and deaths likely significantly underestimates the actual toll.
