Ensuring Safety and Health at Work in a Changing Climate
2024
This report from the International Labour Organization (ILO) examines how climate change impacts the health and safety of workers. As the world warms and climate change exacerbates extreme events such as floods, heatwaves, tropical storms, and wildfires, workers—particularly outdoor workers—are often those most exposed to climate risks. These exposures can have significant consequences for workers’ health—for example, the ILO estimates that more than 22 million occupational injuries and nearly 19,000 deaths are a result of extreme heat alone. This report focuses on six key climate-related issues with significant health impacts on workers: excessive heat, ultraviolet radiation, extreme weather events, workplace air pollution, vector-borne diseases, and agrochemicals. For each issue, the report identifies examples of vulnerable populations of workers who may be at risk, summarizes the impact on worker safety and health, and includes examples of regulation and responses that aim to protect workers. The report seeks to bring attention to the threats that workers are already facing in a changing climate, and calls for stronger protections that respond specifically to climate hazards, especially as future risks are expected to worsen.
The report is accompanied by a video and leaflet summarizing key findings.
Ensuring Safety and Health at Work in a Changing Climate
Source:
Ensuring Safety and Health at Work in a Changing Climate. International Labour Organization 2024. https://www.ilo.org/publications/ensuring-safety-and-health-work-changing-climate.