Heat at work: Implications for safety and health

Heat stress can immediately impact workers on the job, leading to illnesses such as heat exhaustion, heatstroke, and even death. In the longer term, workers can develop serious and debilitating chronic diseases, impacting the cardiovascular and respiratory systems, as well as the kidneys.

The number of workers suffering the consequences of excessive heat is alarming and occupational safety and health protections have struggled to keep up.

While provisions in national legislation exist to protect workers from excessive heat, in most cases these are general in nature and do not adequately address the intensifying climate change-related dangers many workers face daily. Some countries are now revising their laws or developing new specific regulations to address heat at work. This report includes an analysis of national legislation to address heat stress from 21 countries across the world, identifying common provisions for workplace level measures. 

Contents of the Report:

• An overview of heat stress at work
• Global burden of disease from excessive heat at work
• Global and national action on heat stress at work
• Workplace action on heat stress
• Key findings and lessons learned