The World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) have published a joint report and guidance highlighting the growing global health challenges posed by extreme heat on workers.
Entitled Climate change and workplace heat stress, the guidance draws on five decades of research and evidence. It shows that worker productivity drops by 2–3% for every degree above 20°C.
Recommended actions
The guidance lays out a clear path for governments, employers, and health authorities to mitigate the growing risks of extreme heat on working populations. The recommended actions include:
- Develop occupational heat-health policies with tailored plans and advisories that consider local weather patterns, specific jobs, and worker vulnerabilities.
- Focus on vulnerable populations, with special attention given to middle-aged and older workers, individuals with chronic health conditions, and those with lower physical fitness, who can be more susceptible to the effects of heat stress.
- Education and awareness raising for first responders, health professionals, employers, and workers to recognise and properly treat heat stress symptoms, which are often misdiagnosed.
- Engage all stakeholders, from workers and trade unions to health experts and local authorities, in the co-creation of heat-health strategies that are locally relevant and widely supported.
- Design solutions that are not only effective, but also practical, affordable, and environmentally sustainable, ensuring policies can be implemented at scale.
- Embrace innovation by adopting technologies that can help safeguard health while maintaining productivity.
- Support further research and evaluation to strengthen the effectiveness of occupational heat-health measures, ensuring maximum protection for workers worldwide.
