Excessive heat putting workers at risk

The afternoon temperature in Haryana’s Bhopani is hovering at 38 degree scelsius. As the month changes to May, the northern part of India is slowly embracing the gruesome summer. As the temperature is set to cross 40, life is getting difficult for him and other workers.

Much of 2023 saw a record-breaking trend of rising temperatures. The trend seems to be continuing in 2024. According to the World Meteorological Organization, January 2024 was the hottest January ever recorded.

In a country like India, where 90 per cent of the labour force is engaged in the informal sector, performing outdoor jobs that involve physically demanding tasks in agriculture, construction, brick kilns, and other similar fields, workers face significant risks due to heat stress, given their frequent exposure to extreme heat at work.

Workplace heat stress refers to the excess heat load a worker can be exposed to due to different contributing factors, acting alone or in combination. The impact of climate change on workers goes well beyond exposure to excessive heat, creating a “cocktail of hazards”, which result in a range of dangerous health conditions. It has been estimated that over 20,000 have died of kidney diseases promoted by excessive heat in the last decade in Central America alone. Meanwhile, 26.2 million people worldwide were living with chronic kidney disease linked to workplace heat stress.

A new report by the International Labour Organization has warned that more than 70 per cent of all workers worldwide are at risk of exposure to excessive heat, posing significant threats to their safety and health. Out of a global workforce of 3.4 billion, over 2.4 billion workers are likely to be exposed to excessive heat at some point during their work.