Productivity drops 2% to 3% for every degree above 20°C

The report "Climate Change and Heat Stress in the Workplace," a joint analysis by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), was released this Friday and draws attention to the growing risks that extreme heat poses to workers' health and recommends measures to mitigate them to governments, employers and health authorities.

The health risks of increasingly frequent heat waves are increasing for both outdoor and indoor workers, including “heat stroke, dehydration, kidney dysfunction, and neurological disorders.”

All of these "harm long-term health and economic security," the organizations emphasize in a joint statement on the report, adding that "approximately half of the global population suffers adverse consequences from high temperatures."

According to recent reports from the International Labour Organization (ILO), excessive heat is the cause of more than 22.85 million worker injuries worldwide.

"Heat stress [when the human body's ability to regulate its temperature is hampered by environmental conditions that are too hot or too cold] is already damaging the health and livelihoods of billions of workers, especially in the most vulnerable communities," said Jeremy Farrar, WHO's Assistant Director-General for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, quoted in the statement.

Jeremy Farrar said the analysis “offers practical, evidence-based solutions to protect lives, reduce inequality, and achieve more resilient workforces” to address global warming.