By Blessing Otobong-Gabriel, Abuja
World Health Organisation, WHO, and World Meteorological Organisation, WMO, have warned that extreme heat is fast becoming one of the biggest threats to workers health and livelihood.
The United Nations, UN, bodies gave the warning in a joint report published at the weekend.
The new joint report said climate change and workplace heat stress underscores mounting risks, as climate change fuels longer, more extreme and frequent heatwaves.
They stressed that workers in agriculture, construction and fisheries are already suffering the impact of dangerous temperatures.
The report points out that vulnerable groups in developing countries, including children, older adults and low-income communities face increasing dangers.
“Heat stress is already harming the health and livelihood of billions of workers, especially in the most vulnerable communities.
“This new guidance offers practical and evidence-based solutions to protect lives, reduce inequality and build more resilient workforces in a warming world,” the Assistant Director-General for Health Promotion, Disease Prevention and Care,WHO, Dr Jeremy Farrar said.
Drawing on five decades of research, the report highlights how rising temperatures are hitting health and productivity.
WMO confirmed that 2024 was the hottest year on record, at 1.55 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial temperatures.
It said daytime highs were above 40 degrees centigrade becoming commonplace, and in some areas, even exceeding 50 degrees centigrade.
“Occupational heat stress has become a global societal challenge, which is no longer confined to countries located close to the equator – as highlighted by the recent heatwave in Europe.
“Protection of workers from extreme heat is not just a health imperative but an economic necessity,” WMO’s Deputy Secretary-General, Ko Barrett said.
The report details how extreme heat is reshaping the world of work. It noted that worker productivity drops by two to three percent for every degree above 20 degrees centigrade.
The health consequences are wide-ranging, including heatstroke, dehydration, kidney dysfunction and neurological disorders. Overall, nearly half of the world’s population is now experiencing negative effects from high temperatures.
Calling for urgent occupational heat action plans tailored for industries and regions, WHO and WMO guidance includes several recommendations:
Develop targeted occupational heat-health policies based on local weather and workforce vulnerabilities.
Prioritise protection for middle-aged and older workers, those with chronic health conditions and individuals with lower physical fitness.
Train health professionals, employers and workers to recognise and treat heat stress, which is often misdiagnosed.
Involve workers, unions and local authorities in shaping heat-health strategies.
Promote affordable, sustainable and scalable solutions, alongside innovation and new technologies.
Strengthen research and monitoring to ensure that measures remain effective.
The guidance builds on the International Labour Organisation’s, ILO, findings that more than 2.4 billion workers are exposed to excessive heat globally.
This has resulted in over 22.85 million occupational injuries each year.
“This report represents a critical milestone in our collective response to the growing threat of extreme heat in the world of work.
“Aligning with ILO’s mandate to promote safe and healthy working environments as a fundamental right, it offers robust and evidence-based guidance to help governments, employers and workers confront the escalating risks of climate change,” ILO’s Chief of Occupational Safety and Health and the Working Environment, Joaquim Pintado Nunes, said.
Both UN agencies stress that addressing heat stress is central to safeguarding lives, livelihoods and economies.
The guidance supports the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs, urging decisive action to protect vulnerable workers, reduce poverty and promote sustainable growth.
Urgent and coordinated action is no longer optional, it is essential, the report says.
