WHO, WMO Warn Extreme Heat Threatens Workers’ Health
(MENAFN) A joint report released Friday by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) warns that escalating extreme heat, intensified by climate change, is endangering the health and productivity of billions of workers across the globe.
"Heat stress is already harming the health and livelihoods of billions of workers, especially in the most vulnerable communities," said Dr Jeremy Farrar, WHO’s assistant director-general for health promotion, disease prevention and care. "This new guidance offers practical, evidence-based solutions to protect lives, reduce inequality, and build more resilient workforces in a warming world."
The report, titled Climate change and workplace heat stress, synthesizes 50 years of research to expose how rising global temperatures are increasingly compromising both labor output and public health. According to the WMO, 2024 marked the hottest year ever recorded, with peak temperatures exceeding 40°C (104°F) and even reaching 50°C (122°F) in some regions.
"Occupational heat stress has become a global societal challenge, which is no longer confined to countries located close to the equator – as highlighted by the recent heatwave in Europe," said WMO Deputy Secretary-General Ko Barrett. "Protection of workers from extreme heat is not just a health imperative but an economic necessity."
The report warns that for every 1°C increase above 20°C, worker productivity falls by 2–3%. It also outlines critical health threats—including heatstroke, dehydration, kidney damage, and neurological disorders—already impacting nearly half the world’s population.
In response, the WHO and WMO are calling on policymakers and businesses to implement heat action plans tailored to workplace safety. Key recommendations include improving awareness of heat stress symptoms and introducing affordable, climate-adaptive protections.
"This report represents a critical milestone in our collective response to the growing threat of extreme heat in the world of work," said Joaquim Pintado Nunes, chief of occupational safety and health at the International Labour Organization.
The report underscores the urgent need for coordinated global action as climate-driven heat extremes increasingly affect both human health and economic stability.
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