Introduction: According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO)’s report titled “Ensuring Safety and Health at Work in a Changing Climate,” annually, 22.85 million occupational injuries, 18,970 deaths, and 2.09 million disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) are reported due to excessive heat.
Key Findings:
- Kidney Failure: Large numbers of workers in hot rural regions, including the Americas, Africa, the Middle East, and India, are suffering from irreversible kidney failure.
- CKDu Epidemic: Chronic kidney disease of unknown aetiology (CKDu) affects workers conducting heavy manual labour in hot temperatures.
- Statistics: In 2020, an estimated 26.2 million people lived with chronic kidney disease due to workplace heat exposure.
- Heat Exposure: Over 70% of all workers (~2.41 billion) are exposed to excessive heat, with exposure increasing by 34.7% from 2000 to 2020.
Impact of Climate Change on Workers’ Health Globally:
- Health Conditions: Climate change-related health conditions include cancer, cardiovascular disease, respiratory illness, kidney dysfunction, and mental health issues.
- UV Radiation Exposure: Annually, 1.6 billion workers are exposed to solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation, causing over 18,960 work-related deaths from non-melanoma skin cancer.
- Air Pollution: Over 1.6 billion outdoor workers are exposed to outdoor air pollution.
- Pesticide Poisoning: More than 300,000 workers die annually due to pesticide poisoning, and around 15,170 die from exposure to parasitic and vector-borne diseases.
Key Points:
- Economic Impact: Climate change can lead to job losses, damage to business assets, decreased labour productivity, and forced migration.
- Job Dependency: Approximately 1.2 billion jobs rely directly on the effective management and sustainability of a healthy environment, especially in farming, fishing, and forestry.
- Policy Recommendations: Nations need to adopt climate-change-specific Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) policies and integrate them with public health campaigns.
About International Labour Organisation (ILO):
- Director-General: Gilbert Houngbo
- Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland
- Member Nations: 187
- Established: 1919
The report underscores the urgent need for comprehensive measures to protect workers from the adverse effects of excessive heat and climate change, emphasizing the importance of integrating OSH policies with broader public health initiatives.
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