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An Overview of Occupational Risks From Climate Change
Katie M Applebaum1, Jay Graham1, George M Gray1
1Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Milken School of Public Health, George Washington University, 950 New Hampshire Avenue Northwest, Washington, DC, 20052, USA.
Current Environmental Health Reports
|February 5, 2016
Summary
Climate change impacts workers through heat, air quality changes, and other exposures. Occupational health strategies must address these unique risks for sectors like agriculture and construction.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Health
- Occupational Health
- Climate Science
Background:
- Atmospheric and temperature shifts are altering environmental indicators globally.
- Workers face unique occupational impacts from climate change, necessitating focused attention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the differential occupational impacts of climate change on US and global workers.
- To identify key climate change-related exposures affecting workers.
- To inform recommendations for mitigating occupational susceptibility.
Main Methods:
- Review of epidemiologic evidence on temperature-mortality relationships.
- Analysis of climate change-related exposures (heat, ozone, chemicals, pathogens, violence, wildfires).
- Examination of sector-specific risks (agriculture, construction, transportation, emergency response).
Main Results:
- Heat-related risks are significant in agriculture, construction, and transportation.
- Chemical toxicity and transport are altered by hyperthermic conditions.
- Climate change exacerbates risks from violence and extreme weather events.
Conclusions:
- Workers are uniquely vulnerable to climate change impacts, including altered chemical toxicity and increased violence.
- Proactive monitoring, scenario modeling, and research are crucial for worker protection.
- Addressing occupational susceptibility requires a national research agenda focused on control and mitigation.
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