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Story Spark: Heat & Worker Safety
Last week’s deadly heatwave in Europe and similar record-breaking temperatures last month in the US and in Asia highlight that worsening summer heat is becoming a shared global experience. While heatwaves made worse due to climate change affects us all, heat’s deadly impact is felt unequally — and outdoor workers are particularly vulnerable.
Over 70% of the global workforce are now at risk of extreme heat with 19,000 deaths being attributed to workers exposed to dangerous temperatures each year, according to a recent report from the International Labour Organization. In the US, the nearly 32 million outdoor workers, who are primarily Black and Latino, are 35 times more likely to die from heat exposure compared to the general population.
Beyond causing direct deaths, extreme heat exacerbates existing health conditions, increases the risks of workplace accidents, and lowers productivity. It’s estimated that more frequent and intense heat will cost the global economy $2.4 trillion by 2030. It’s vital that more measures be taken to protect workers. Unfortunately, in the US — this isn’t happening.
Currently, 43 states do not have comprehensive, enforceable occupational heat standards — and some states are banning local heat protections. A Biden-era federal proposal, requiring employers to provide paid breaks, shade, and water, has stalled under the current administration with some saying that the proposed rule being implemented under Trump “feels very close to zero.” Investigate whether your area’s heat action plan includes protections for workers, and help humanize this climate impact by interviewing people who are impacted on the job by extreme heat — understanding that heat risks are not strictly limited to outdoor workers.
– David Dickson, CCNow
Stories We Like
- As a landmark federal heat rule stalls under the Trump administration, millions of Latino workers are left unprotected. In a two-part, deep-dive series, Planet Detroit examines how the bill could change everything for outdoor workers in the US.
- In Sri Lanka, women workers bear the brunt of extreme heat, which is becoming more frequent and intense due to climate change, Himal Southasian reports.
- As climate change pushes summer temperatures ever higher, more farms are experimenting with nighttime harvests to protect workers from extreme heat but bring other risks as well, Civil Eats reports.
- The risk of working in extreme heat extends beyond heat stroke and increased risk of accidents. As Yale 360 explores, lack of access to rest, shade, and hydration is driving India’s chronic kidney disease epidemic among outdoor laborers.
- In Texas, where no regulations requiring water breaks or other heat protections exist, workers keep dying. Inside Climate News shares some of these tragic stories and highlights failures at the state and federal level that may have saved lives.
Resources
- Wet bulb temperature is being used more to monitor heat-related health risks. Head to the UK Met Office to better understand this somewhat confusing term.
- Learn what occupational heat standards exist (or more often, don’t) in your state in an interactive map built by the nonprofit Natural Resources Defense Council.
- Read the latest report from the World Health Organization and World Meteorological Organization examining increasing heat risks to outdoor workers.
- Check out Climate Central’s resources and downloadable graphics about the increasing risks of humid heat and urban heat islands.
Experts and Sources
- Grace Wickerson, senior manager of climate and health, Federation of American Scientists
- Adam Dean, associate professor of political science, George Washington University
- Email the public affairs offices of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
- While certain state governments may be less inclined to make the climate connection, it may be worth contacting your area’s Offices of Health and Human Services.
Before We Go…
CCNow Office Hours. Are you a journalist who needs help finding the local angle to a climate story? Sign up for office hours with CCNow’s David Dickson for editorial and climate support.
Want more story ideas? Check out the Locally Sourced archive for more topics to explore, including AI data centers, coastal flooding, air transportation, and more.
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