UN warns that rising heat is 'seriously' affecting workers' health

Rising global temperatures are "seriously" impacting the health and productivity of workers, the UN warned Friday, calling for immediate action.

Extreme heat poses increasing challenges in the workplace, according to the United Nations health and climate agencies, which have published guidance for governments, employers, and health authorities to try to mitigate the risks.

“Immediate action is needed to address the increasingly serious effects that heat overload has on workers around the world,” they said.

Many workers are routinely exposed to dangerous heat conditions, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

The two organizations highlighted that the frequency and intensity of extreme heat episodes have increased considerably, which increases the risks for outdoor workers as well as those indoors.

Workers in sectors such as agriculture, construction and fishing are particularly affected, the agencies added.

WHO and WMO point out that worker productivity drops by between 2% and 3% for each degree above 20°C.

Health risks include heat stroke, dehydration, kidney dysfunction, and neurological disorders.

"Occupational heat stress has become a global social challenge, not just affecting countries near the equator, as the recent heat wave in Europe has demonstrated," said Ko Barrett, WMO Deputy Secretary-General.

“Protecting workers from extreme heat is not only a health imperative, but an economic necessity,” he added.

The agencies called for workplace heat action plans tailored to specific industries and regions.

The guidelines are based on findings from the International Labour Organization (ILO), which highlight that more than 2.4 billion workers are exposed to excessive heat worldwide, representing 71% of the global working population.

The scenario causes more than 22.85 million workplace accidents per year and almost 19,000 deaths.

The last WHO technical report and guidance on heat stress in the workplace was published in 1969, “when the world was very different in terms of climate change,” according to Ruediger Krech, WHO Director of Environment.

“What changed was gravity,” he added, recalling temperature records over the past 10 years.

According to scientists, heat waves are increasingly intense and frequent throughout the world due to climate change caused by humanity.

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