By Tom Addison, Policy and Public Affairs Manager at The Physiological Society
The World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) have published a new joint report and guidance highlighting the growing global health challenges posed by extreme heat on workers.
The report, Climate change and workplace heat stress: technical report and guidance, notes that the frequency and intensity of extreme heat events have risen sharply, increasing risks for both outdoor and indoor workers and that worker productivity drops by 2–3% for every degree above 20°C.
To tackle the challenges presented by extreme heat to workers, the report calls for the implementation of occupational heat action plans, tailored to specific industries and regions, and developed in collaboration with employers, workers, unions, and public health experts.
Society action in this area
Since COP26 in Glasgow, The Society has worked on a number of projects which recognise the additional burden that heat puts on the physical and mental health and wellbeing of the workforce including our call for a Heat Resilience Strategy for the UK and discussions at last month’s Global Climate and Health Summit which fostered interdisciplinary calls for action to protect the health, safety and productivity of all workers between physiologists, economists and union representatives.
Professor Mike Tipton, President-Elect of The Physiological Society and Professor of Human & Applied Physiology at the Extreme Environments Laboratory at the University of Portsmouth commented;
“It is fantastic to see recommendations from The Society’s policy reports and advocacy related to the health impacts of climate change be echoed as areas requiring urgent action from this new WHO/WMO report.
“Physiology, as the science of life, is crucial in understanding what makes different individuals vulnerable to heat in different workplaces. This report gives renewed focus for action and for our engagement with policymakers and politicians on this issue in the UK and internationally.”
More information about The Society’s work related to climate and health can be found in the Climate Change & Health Hub.