Workers’ risks rise as climate changes
GENEVA—More than 70 percent of the global workforce is exposed to risks linked to climate change that cause hundreds of thousands of deaths each year, the International Labor Organization (ILO) said on Monday, adding governments would need to act as the numbers rise.
Workers, especially the world’s poorest, are more vulnerable than the general population to the dangers of climate extremes such as heatwaves, droughts, wildfires, and hurricanes because they are often the first exposed, or exposed for longer periods and at greater intensity.
As climate change accelerates, governments and employers are struggling to protect employees, the ILO said in a report.
“A staggering number of workers are already being exposed to climate change-related hazards in the workplace, and these figures are only likely to get worse,” the report entitled “Ensuring safety and health at work in a changing climate” said in its conclusions.“As (the hazards) evolve and intensify, it will be necessary to reevaluate existing legislation or create new regulations and guidance.”
Surging temperatures
The share of global workers exposed to the most widespread hazard, surging temperatures, has risen by around 5 percentage points over the last two decades to 70.9 percent, the report said, Other climate dangers often coexist, creating a “cocktail of hazards,” the report said, with UV radiation and air pollution each affecting 1.6 billion people.
Climate-related hazards are being linked to a cancer, kidney dysfunction, and respiratory illnesses, leading to deaths or debilitating chronic conditions or disabilities.
Air pollution is the most deadly risk, causing some 860,000 work-related deaths among outdoor workers annually, the ILO report said. Excessive heat causes 18,970 occupational deaths each year and UV radiation kills 18,960 through non melanoma skin cancer, it said.
In some cases, the very technologies meant to slow climate change like solar panels and lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles can end up producing new dangers since they contain toxic chemicals, it said.
