World’s workers at risk as climate changes
Employees more exposed to extremes, ILO says
GENEVA – More than 70% 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 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 heat waves, droughts, wildfires, and hurricanes because they are often the first exposed, or exposed longer 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 concluded.
“As (the hazards) evolve and intensify, it will be necessary to re-evaluate existing legislation or create new regulations and guidance.”
Some countries have improved heat protections for workers, such as Qatar, whose policies came under scrutiny ahead of the 2022 soccer World Cup.
However, rules to govern other dangers such as growing pesticide use for agricultural workers are less common.
“We do have some (countries) that already limit exposure to high temperatures and also limit exposure to air pollution, but we rarely have occupational exposure limits set for the other hazards,” said Manal Azzi, ILO senior specialist on occupational safety and health.
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%, 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.
Because a worker is likely to be exposed to multiple dangers at once, an ILO spokesperson said it was impossible to calculate exactly what portion of global workforce was at risk.