DEPARTMENTS
BY THE NUMBERS
Climate Change at Work
“Climate change is already having serious impacts on the safety and health of workers in all regions of the world,” according to an International Labor Organization report published in April. ILO estimates that more than 2.4 billion workers per year, representing 70 percent of the global workforce of 3.4 billion people, are exposed to excessive heat during work. Other climate-change-related occupational safety and health risks include ultraviolet (UV) radiation, extreme weather events, workplace air pollution, vector-borne diseases, and agrochemicals. Select information from the report appears below.
From “Ensuring Safety and Health at Work in a Changing Climate”:
“Vulnerable populations of workers, for example many migrant workers engaged in construction and agriculture in informal settings, are particularly at risk. Those in the emergency services will work in increasingly hazardous conditions as extreme weather events become more frequent and severe.”
SOURCE
International Labor Organization: “Ensuring Safety and Health at Work in a Changing Climate” (2024).
Tap on the graphic to open a larger version in your browser.