70% of global workforce faces climate change health risks - ILO report

A report by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) has indicated that over 70% of workers globally are likely to be exposed to health hazards that are related to climate change.

The report, titled ‘Ensuring Safety and Health at Work in a Changing Climate’, stated that already existing occupational safety and health protections are unable to keep up with the resulting risks.

The ILO added that climate change is already affecting the world negatively and the safety and health of workers in all regions of the world are at serious risk.

According to the organisation, 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.

Parts of the report read: “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 impact 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 continued that numerous health conditions in workers had been connected to climate change, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, respiratory illnesses, kidney dysfunction, and mental health conditions.

It said: “Over 870 million workers in agriculture, are likely to be exposed to pesticides, with more than 300,000 deaths attributed to pesticide poisoning annually.

15,000 work-related deaths every year due to exposure to parasitic and vector-borne diseases.”

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

“Working in safe and healthy environments is recognised as one of the ILO’s fundamental principles and rights at work. We must deliver on that commitment about climate change, just as in every other aspect of work.”

BEB