The impact of excessive heat on workplaces in Bangladesh is significantly higher than the global average, although the situation has deteriorated at a slower rate over the past 20 years, according to a recent International Labour Organisation (ILO) report.

On July 25, the ILO released a report titled ‘Heat at Work: Implications for Safety and Health’.

The report indicated that in 2020, approximately 70 million workers in Bangladesh were exposed to excessive heat, marking a 51 percent increase since 2000. This contrasts with a global average increase of 34.86 percent over the same period.

The ILO report highlighted that over 98 percent of Bangladesh’s labor force was exposed to excessive heat, with more than 96 percent of this exposure occurring outside of heatwaves.

In 2020, the report attributed over 450,000 occupational injuries in Bangladesh to extreme heat, accounting for 8.46 percent of all workplace injuries in the country.

This was notably higher than the global average of 6.14 percent, although the increase in Bangladesh (2.66 percent) was slightly slower compared to the global average increase (2.92 percent).

Furthermore, the report revealed that in 2020, over 1.6 million people in Bangladesh suffered from kidney disease related to heat stress at work.

This represents 3.53 percent of all kidney disease cases in the country, surpassing the global burden of approximately 3.1 percent and indicating a higher proportion attributable to occupational heat stress.

The report warned that heat stress can be an insidious and deadly threat, leading to illnesses, heatstroke, and even death. Prolonged exposure could result in serious heart, lung, and kidney issues for workers.

Globally, excessive heat affects 74.7 percent of the workforce in Asia and the Pacific, surpassing the global average.

The report said that in 2020, heatwaves caused the deaths of 4,200 workers worldwide and exposed 231 million workers to heatwaves, a 66 percent increase from 2000.

Notably, 90 percent of workers faced excessive heat outside of heatwaves, with 80 percent of extreme heat-related occupational injuries also occurring outside these events.

The report emphasized that regions such as Africa, the Arab States, and Asia and the Pacific experience the highest rates of excessive heat exposure, with 92.9 percent, 83.6 percent, and 74.7 percent of the workforce affected, respectively—each above the global average of 71 percent.

Improving safety and health measures to mitigate injuries from excessive heat could potentially save up to $361 billion globally in lost income and medical expenses as the heat stress crisis intensifies.

The ILO’s analysis suggested that low- and middle-income economies bear the greatest burden, with costs related to heat-induced workplace injuries reaching up to 1.5 percent of national gross domestic product.

This is human rights issue, a workers’ rights issue, and an economic issue, and middle-income economies are bearing the biggest brunt, said Manal Azzi, ILO’s team lead for occupational safety and health.

‘We need year-round heat action plans and legislation to protect workers, and stronger global collaboration among experts to harmonise heat stress assessments and interventions at work,’ she said.

The report examined legislative measures across 21 countries to identify effective practices for workplace heat safety.

It stressed the need for comprehensive safety and health management systems to protect workers from heat-related illnesses and injuries.

Building on previous reports, it underscored that climate change presents serious health risks for 2.4 billion workers exposed to excessive heat, leading to 22.85 million occupational injuries and 18,970 deaths annually.