Climate change creates a ‘cocktail’ of serious health hazards for 70 per cent of the world’s workers, says the ILO.
A “staggering” number of workers, amounting to more than 70 per cent of the global workforce, are likely to be exposed to climate-change-related health hazards, and existing occupational safety and health (OSH)
protections are struggling to keep up with the resulting risks, according to a new report by the International Labour Organization (ILO).
The ILO estimates that more than 2.4 billion workers (out of a global workforce of 3.4 billion) are likely to be exposed to excessive heat at some point during their work. When calculated as a share of the global workforce, the proportion has increased from 65.5 per cent to 70.9 per cent since 2000.
However, the impact of climate change on workers goes well beyond exposure to excessive heat, the report said, creating a “cocktail of hazards”, which result in a range of dangerous health conditions.
The report noted that numerous workers’ health conditions have been linked to climate change, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, kidney dysfunction and mental health conditions.
ACTU Assistant Secretary Liam O’Brien said workers are on the frontline of the climate crisis.
“Be it working outdoors in extreme heat, or those battling floods and extreme weather conditions, the climate crisis is having a detrimental effect on workers’ health,” he said.