A study by the International Labor Organization (ILO) revealed that more than 70% of the global workforce faces significant health hazards due to climate change. Titled “Ensuring safety and health at work in a changing climate,” this report highlights the urgent need to address this growing threat to workers around the world.
The figures are conclusive: more than 2.4 billion workers, out of a global workforce of 3.4 billion, could be exposed to hazardous conditions. extreme heat during your work day. This figure, which represents an increase of 70.9% since 2000, underlines the magnitude of the challenge we face.
Every year, about 18,970 lives are lost and add more than 2 million disability-adjusted life years due to work-related injuries attributable to excessive heat. In addition, more than 26 million people suffer from chronic kidney diseases related to heat stress at work.
But the ILO report goes further by pointing out that the impact of climate change is not limited to extreme heat. Numerous related diseases have been identified, such as skin cancer, cardiovascular, respiratory, kidney diseases and mental health problems, directly linked to climate change.
Specific concerns include UV radiation exposure, air pollution in outdoor work environments, and pesticide exposure in agriculture, which cause hundreds of thousands of deaths annually.
“It is clear that climate change is generating significant risks to the health of workers,” said Manal Azzi, leader of the ILO's Occupational Safety and Health team. “We must take these warnings seriously. Occupational safety and health must be primary considerations in our actions and policies related to climate change.”
The report also highlights the need for urgent responses, including reviewing existing legislation, creating new regulations and improving climate change mitigation strategies in workplaces.
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