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Cited by 802Thermoregulation and physiological responsesClimate Change and Health ImpactsOccupational Health and Global Justice

Workplace heat stress, health and productivity – an increasing challenge for low and middle-income countries during climate change

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Kjellstrom, Tord, Holmer, Ingvar, Lemke, Bruno·2009·Global Health Action
DOI 10.3402/gha.v2i0.2047PMC PMC2799237
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Abstract

BACKGROUND: Global climate change is already increasing the average temperature and direct heat exposure in many places around the world. OBJECTIVES: To assess the potential impact on occupational health and work capacity for people exposed at work to increasing heat due to climate change. DESIGN: A brief review of basic thermal physiology mechanisms, occupational heat exposure guidelines and heat exposure changes in selected cities. RESULTS: In countries with very hot seasons, workers are already affected by working environments hotter than that with which human physiological mechanisms can cope. To protect workers from excessive heat, a number of heat exposure indices have been developed. One that is commonly used in occupational health is the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT). We use WBGT to illustrate assessing the proportion of a working hour during which a worker can sustain work and the proportion of that same working hour that (s)he needs to rest to cool the body down and maintain core body temperature below 38 degrees C. Using this proportion a 'work capacity' estimate was calculated for selected heat exposure levels and work intensity levels. The work capacity rapidly reduces as the WBGT exceeds 26-30 degrees C and this can be used to estimate the impact of increasing heat exposure as a result of climate change in tropical countries. CONCLUSIONS: One result of climate change is a reduced work capacity in heat-exposed jobs and greater difficulty in achieving economic and social development in the countries affected by this somewhat neglected impact of climate change.

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  • Heat protection via reduced work intensity may significantly reduce work productivity and economic returns both for individuals and organizations.

    “It needs to be emphasized that the heat protection via reduced work intensity may significantly reduce work productivity and economic returns both for individuals and organizations (Kjellstrom et al. 2009).”

    From Occupational heat stress assessment and protective strategies in the context of climate change (2018) · cites this paper as Kjellstrom et al. 2009

    The ‘Impacts of workplace heat exposure on worker productivity’ section says that slowing work is a defence against severe heat and that protective practices such as a siesta reduce exposed workers’ hourly productivity (page not provided). The Conclusions discuss broader economic effects, but the passages do not specifically establish reduced economic returns for both individuals and organizations. (LLM, conf=0.82)

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  • The increasing prevalence of this environmental health risk will become a threat to public and occupational health in some areas of the world.

    “The increasing prevalence of this environmental health risk will become a threat to public and occupational health in some areas of the world (Kjellstrom et al. 2009; Lundgren et al. 2013; Błażejczyk et al. 2014; Spector and Sheffield 2014), and is likely to reduce productivity in areas where an increasing proportion of the population could be pushed into poverty as a consequence (Kjellstrom et al”

    From Occupational heat stress assessment and protective strategies in the context of climate change (2018) · cites this paper as Kjellstrom et al. 2009

  • Reducing physical work intensity and increasing more frequent and longer rest periods decreases the body internal heat production.

    “A strategy is to reduce physical work intensity and increase more frequent and longer rest periods in order to decrease the body internal heat production (Kjellstrom et al. 2009).”

    From Occupational heat stress assessment and protective strategies in the context of climate change (2018) · cites this paper as Kjellstrom et al. 2009

  • Adverse health effects due to excessive ambient heat already occur in many parts of the world, not only during heat waves but also due to intensive manual work in hot daily conditions.

    “Adverse health effects due to exposures to excessive ambient heat (termed here heat exposure) already occur in many parts of the world, not only during heat waves but also due to the need for intensive manual work in hot daily conditions (41).”

    From Heat, Human Performance, and Occupational Health: A Key Issue for the Assessment of Global Climate Change Impacts (2016) · cites this paper as [41]

  • Ambient heat exposure reduces human performance and work capacity at heat levels already common in tropical and subtropical areas.

    “Ambient heat exposure is a well-known health hazard, which reduces human performance and work capacity at heat levels already common in tropical and subtropical areas.”

    From Heat, Human Performance, and Occupational Health: A Key Issue for the Assessment of Global Climate Change Impacts (2016) · cites this paper as [41]

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Research works printed but not linked: 25

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Authors
Kjellstrom, T., Holmer, I., & Lemke, B.
Affiliations
  • Australian National University (AU)
  • Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology (NZ)
Corresponding author
Kjellstrom, Tord
ORCID
Kjellstrom, Tord
Venue
Global Health Action
Publisher
Informa UK Limited
Published
2009-11-11
Volume
2
Issue
1
Pages
2047
ISSN
  • 1654-9716 (ISSN-L)
  • 1654-9880
DOI
10.3402/gha.v2i0.2047
PMC
PMC2799237
OpenAlex
W2099391487
Cited by
802
References
2
Citations by year
2026: 78 · 2025: 75 · 2024: 69 · 2023: 67 · 2022: 42 · 2021: 84 · 2020: 66 · 2019: 72 · 2018: 40 · 2017: 30 · 2016: 34 · 2015: 32 · 2014: 33 · 2013: 37 · 2012: 13
FWCI
9.31
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
cc-by-nc
Locations
  • Global Health Action (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • ANU Open Research (Australian National University) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc)
Funders
  • National Institutes of Health
  • National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Thermoregulation and physiological responses
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Climate Change and Health Impacts
  • Social Sciences › Health › Occupational Health and Global Justice
Keywords
climate change, occupational health, work capacity, wet bulb globe temperature, thermal physiology, low- and middle-income countries, tropical climate, labor productivity

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