Create Plans to Protect Workers from Heat in a Warming World

The World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) have published a new joint report and guidance highlighting the growing global health challenges posed by extreme heat on workers.

As climate change drives more frequent and intense heatwaves, many workers who are regularly exposed to dangerous heat conditions are already feeling the health impacts of rising temperatures, in particular, manual workers in sectors such as agriculture, construction and fisheries. Increasing heat episodes are also leading to health issues for vulnerable populations in developing countries, such as children, older adults and low-income populations.

🌍 Multi-Level Heat Protection Plan for Workers

1. Government & Policy Level

• Occupational Heat Standards: Establish enforceable workplace heat standards (e.g., maximum work-rest cycles, mandated hydration breaks).

• Early Warning Systems: Develop regional heat-health advisories using meteorological forecasts linked to labor advisories.

• Legislation & Enforcement: Make heat protection part of occupational safety law, with penalties for non-compliance.

• Infrastructure Investment: Subsidize shade structures, cooling centers, and heat-resilient workplace design, especially in high-risk industries.

• Equity Focus: Ensure special protection measures for informal workers, migrant laborers, and those in low-income regions.

2. Employer & Industry Level

• Workplace Heat Action Plans: Create sector-specific strategies (agriculture, construction, fisheries, mining, manufacturing).

• Engineering Controls: Introduce ventilation, cooling systems, shaded rest zones, and provision of cool drinking water.

• Flexible Scheduling: Shift working hours to cooler parts of the day (early morning, late evening) during heatwaves.

• PPE Innovation: Provide lightweight, breathable, and reflective protective clothing.

• Heat Insurance: Develop occupational health insurance schemes covering heat-related illness and income loss.

3. Workers & Trade Unions

• Training & Awareness: Educate workers on heat stress symptoms (dizziness, cramps, nausea, confusion).

• Peer Monitoring: Encourage buddy systems so workers can look out for each other’s early signs of heat exhaustion.

• Right to Refuse Unsafe Work: Ensure workers can legally refuse to work in dangerous heat conditions without retaliation.

Collective Bargaining: Push for inclusion of climate adaptation clauses in labor contracts.

4. Health & Community Systems

• Medical Preparedness: Train health professionals to recognize and treat heat-related illnesses quickly.

• Heat First Aid Kits: Deploy on-site kits with oral rehydration salts, cooling towels, and misting devices.

• Surveillance Systems: Collect data on heat-related occupational injuries and illnesses to guide future interventions.

• Community Cooling Centers: Partner with municipalities to provide accessible shelters during extreme heat events.

🔑 Cross-Cutting Strategies

• Technology Adoption: Wearable heat sensors, mobile health apps, and remote monitoring for high-risk jobs.

• Research & Evaluation: Ongoing studies on heat impacts by occupation, gender, and socioeconomic status.

• Sustainability Lens: Implement measures that are environmentally sustainable—e.g., renewable-powered cooling solutions.

📢 Call to Action

• Governments, employers, and unions must co-create heat-health strategies tailored to local realities.

• Heat protection must be recognized as a fundamental labor right.

• Investment in worker protection is not just a health priority, but also an economic necessity to safeguard productivity, prevent injuries, and reduce inequality.

The writer of this article is Dr. Seema Javed, an environmentalist & a communications professional in the field of climate and energy