The health consequences of climate change can include cancer, cardiovascular disease, respiratory illnesses, kidney disfunction and mental health conditions.

A considerable proportion of the global workforce, exceeding 70 per cent, faces exposure to health hazards linked to climate change, according to a new report by the International Labour Organisation.

The report underscored the inadequacy of current occupational safety and health (OSH) safeguards in addressing the emerging risks.

The report, ‘Ensuring safety and health at work in a changing climate’ said that climate change was already having a serious impact on the safety and health of workers in all regions of the world.

Exposure to extreme weather events and climate-related disasters has significantly impacted mental health, contributing to stress, anxiety, depression, substance abuse, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and even suicide, the report identified.

ILO said that the phenomenon was evident globally, including in Bangladesh, the Philippines, and the Caribbean, where instances of extreme climate events correlated with heightened rates of PTSD, depression, anxiety, stress, and suicide across all age groups.

In the workplace, these mental health challenges manifested as increased job tension, elevated turnover intentions, workplace hostility, and impaired decision-making abilities due to stress related to extreme weather events, report mentioned.

Workers in the informal economy face heightened vulnerability to climate change hazards, often lacking OSH protections, essential services, and infrastructure, it said.

It also mentioned that financial constraints further exacerbated the situation, rendering informal and own-account workers unable to halt work, even in the face of health risks posed by extreme climate events.

The ILO report said that unprecedented heat waves swept across Asia, with Bangladesh experiencing record-breaking temperatures in April.

Other affected regions include India, Thailand, and the Lao People’s Democratic Republic.

According to the report some worker populations might be especially vulnerable to the effects of climate change and therefore might need extra protective measures.

For example, agricultural workers and other outdoor workers carrying out heavy labour in hot climates may be exposed to a cocktail of hazards, including excessive heat, ultraviolet radiation, air pollution, vector borne diseases, and agrochemicals, the report read.

It also suggested not overlooking the needs of workers in indoor settings such as factories and offices.

The ILO estimated that more than 2.4 billion workers (out of a global workforce of 3.4 billion) were likely to be exposed to excessive heat at some point during their work, according to the most recent figures available (2020).

When calculated as a share of the global workforce, the proportion has increased from 65.5 per cent to 70.9 per cent since 2000.

In addition, the report estimates that 18,970 lives and 2.09 million disability-adjusted life years are lost annually due to the 22.87 million occupational injuries, which are attributable to excessive heat. This is not to mention the 26.2 million people worldwide living with chronic kidney disease linked to workplace heat stress (2020 figures).

However, the impacts of climate change on workers goes well beyond exposure to excessive heat, the report says, creating a “cocktail of hazards”, which result in a range of dangerous health conditions.

The report noted that numerous health conditions in workers have been linked to climate change, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, respiratory illnesses, kidney disfunction and mental health conditions.

ILO found roughly 1.6 billion individuals are exposed to UV radiation, causing over 18,960 work-related deaths annually from non-melanoma skin cancer.

Moreover, more than 870 million agricultural workers face the risk of pesticide exposure, resulting in over 300,000 deaths attributed to pesticide poisoning each year.

Additionally, approximately 15,000 work-related deaths occur annually due to exposure to parasitic and vector-borne diseases.

Furthermore, the ILO estimated that the overall impact extended to workplace air pollution, affecting 1.6 billion people and potentially leading to up to 860,000 work-related deaths among outdoor workers annually.

These figures underscored the urgent need for comprehensive measures to address occupational health hazards worldwide.

‘It is clear that climate change is already creating significant additional health hazards for workers. It is essential that we heed these warnings. Occupational safety and health considerations must become part of our climate change responses – both policies and actions,’ said Manal Azzi, OSH Team Lead at the ILO.

Working in safe and healthy environments is recognized as one of the ILO’s fundamental principles and rights at work, she said.

‘We must deliver on that commitment in relation to climate change, just as in every other aspect of work,’ she added.