Workers’ lives at risk from climate

Rise in heat and air pollution to take toll

ABU DHABI // Rising temperatures and air pollution will put the lives of outdoor workers at risk in coming years.

The UAE Climate Change Risk and Resilience report published by the Emirates Wildlife Society with the WWF, predicted that higher heat and humidity would endanger health and decrease productivity.

The report forecast global economic losses through decreased productivity of up to US$2 trillion, or Dh7.34tn, by 2030. Outdoor employees would slow their pace, take longer breaks and shift their work to cooler dusk and dawn hours.

The rest of the population will also be affected. The elderly, young, socially isolated, poor and those with respiratory and cardiovascular diseases would feel it most, the report said.

It is predicted that tempera- tures will increase 2°C by 2050 and humidity 10 per cent.

With temperatures in summer already reaching 50°C, health problems are already a challenge for the building industry.

Benjamin Omoziku, a safety engineer at a site on Reem Island, said there were up to 12 cases of heat exhaustion every day at his site last summer, prompting his company to bring in a site nurse.

“We need to be extra cautious during summer to ensure our workers are safe. Already conditions are really bad,” he said.

Despite having cold water on each floor, not more than two hours of work under direct sunlight and the mandatory threehour midday break, the heat still takes its toll on workers.

“Because of the harsh weather, workers lose a lot of salt, which also causes a loss of energy,” Mr Omoziku said.

“Last year in the summer, we saw up to 12 cases of heat exhaustion every day and we have a clinic and nurse on site to deal with these immediately.

“The weather is getting worse every year and conditions are becoming bad, in which case we will have to limit workers’ exposure during summer, increase the number, reduce their hours, give them regular breaks and create schedules that make sure they are not exposed to heat continuously.”

Dr Soha El Baz, a specialist in emergency medicine at Burjeel Hospital in Abu Dhabi, said it was not just outdoor workers that were affected.

“Headaches, fatigue, inability to work – all these are very common issues already among outdoor workers in the UAE,” Dr Soha said. “We have people suffering heat exhaustion daily during the summer, although the number of heat strokes has reduced.” “Although less common among the general public, at least 15 per cent of heat-related health cases we get at the hospital are not labourers or outdoor workers.” “High humidity and an increase in air pollution means the number of patients coming in with acute exacerbation – which is episodes of shortness of breath, coughing, wheezing, chest tightness – is also likely to increase,” Dr Soha said.