A new ILO report finds climate hazards like heat and wildfires threaten worker health, urging stronger regulations to protect the global workforce

The International Labour Organisation (ILO) issued a report highlighting the growing dangers climate change poses to the global workforce. The report, titled “Ensuring safety and health at work in a changing climate,” found that over 70 per cent of workers, translating to roughly 2.4 billion people, are now exposed to climate-linked hazards.

These hazards include extreme heat, droughts, wildfires and hurricanes. The report emphasises that the poorest workers are disproportionately affected due to their occupations and are often restricted to protective measures.

Additionally, the ILO report emphasises a concerning trend, the increasing intensity and frequency of these climate hazards. Heat exposure, the most prevalent danger, has risen by 5 per cent in the past two decades, affecting over 70 per cent of the workforce. Additionally, hazards often combine, creating a “cocktail of threats” that includes air pollution and UV radiation, impacting an estimated 1.6 billion workers each.

Also, the report admits some advancement in defending workers, particularly against heat strain. Nevertheless, it insists on the necessity of more inclusive rules and recommendations for the increasing array of climatic-related hazards. The ILO calls upon governments and employers to modify existing laws as well as create new frameworks that will preserve employees’ well-being with changing climate conditions.

The report ends with a sharp warning that this number is expected to increase. The ILO stresses the urgent need for anticipatory actions to save the lives of working people worldwide from increasing risks posed by global warming.