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Gibb K, Beckman S, Vergara XP, Heinzerling A, Harrison R. Extreme Heat and Occupational Health Risks. Annu Rev Public Health 2024; 45:315-335. [PMID: 38166501 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-publhealth-060222-034715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2024]
Abstract
Climate change poses a significant occupational health hazard. Rising temperatures and more frequent heat waves are expected to cause increasing heat-related morbidity and mortality for workers across the globe. Agricultural, construction, military, firefighting, mining, and manufacturing workers are at particularly high risk for heat-related illness (HRI). Various factors, including ambient temperatures, personal protective equipment, work arrangements, physical exertion, and work with heavy equipment may put workers at higher risk for HRI. While extreme heat will impact workers across the world, workers in low- and middle-income countries will be disproportionately affected. Tracking occupational HRI will be critical to informing prevention and mitigation strategies. Renewed investment in these strategies, including workplace heat prevention programs and regulatory standards for indoor and outdoor workers, will be needed. Additional research is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions in order to successfully reduce the risk of HRI in the workplace.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn Gibb
- Occupational Health Branch, California Department of Public Health, Richmond, California, USA;
| | - Stella Beckman
- Occupational Health Branch, California Department of Public Health, Richmond, California, USA;
| | | | - Amy Heinzerling
- Occupational Health Branch, California Department of Public Health, Richmond, California, USA;
| | - Robert Harrison
- Occupational Health Branch, California Department of Public Health, Richmond, California, USA;
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Tetzlaff EJ, Goulet N, Gorman M, Ioannou LG, Kenny GP. Working under the 2021 Heat Dome: A Content Analysis of Occupational Impacts Mentioned in the Canadian Media. Healthcare (Basel) 2023; 11:2423. [PMID: 37685459 PMCID: PMC10487058 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare11172423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2023] [Revised: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Extreme heat events directly impact worker health and cause additional cascading and transitional workplace impacts. However, current investigations on these impacts often rely on specific datasets (e.g., compensation claims, hospitalizations). Thus, to continue to work towards preventing and mitigating the occupational risks posed by extreme heat events, this study aimed to explore the occupational impacts of the 2021 Heat Dome in Canada using a qualitative content analysis method on a news-based dataset. A systematized review of news articles published before, during, and after the 2021 Heat Dome was conducted on academic (n = 8) and news (n = 5) databases, along with targeted grey literature. Two researchers qualitatively coded the articles in NVivo for occupational impacts or references mentioned within the articles. Overall, 52 different occupations were identified as being impacted by the 2021 Heat Dome. Impacts were diverse and ranged from work cancellations or delays to work modifications and reports of heat-related illnesses. The 2021 Heat Dome impacted the health and safety of many occupational groups and provided new insights into the expanding impacts that extreme heat events can have on the Canadian workforce. With climate projections showing a growing trend of more hot days and intense heat waves in Canada, addressing these concerns should be a critical priority.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily J. Tetzlaff
- Human and Environmental Physiology Research Unit, School of Human Kinetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa, 125 University Private, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada; (E.J.T.)
- Climate Change and Innovation Bureau, Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety Branch, Safe Environments Directorate, Health Canada, 269 Laurier Avenue West, Ottawa, ON K1A 0K9, Canada;
| | - Nicholas Goulet
- Human and Environmental Physiology Research Unit, School of Human Kinetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa, 125 University Private, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada; (E.J.T.)
- Climate Change and Innovation Bureau, Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety Branch, Safe Environments Directorate, Health Canada, 269 Laurier Avenue West, Ottawa, ON K1A 0K9, Canada;
- Behavioural and Metabolic Research Unit, School of Human Kinetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa, 200 Lees Avenue, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada
| | - Melissa Gorman
- Climate Change and Innovation Bureau, Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety Branch, Safe Environments Directorate, Health Canada, 269 Laurier Avenue West, Ottawa, ON K1A 0K9, Canada;
| | - Leonidas G. Ioannou
- Department of Automatics, Biocybernetics and Robotics, Jožef Stefan Institute, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia;
| | - Glen P. Kenny
- Human and Environmental Physiology Research Unit, School of Human Kinetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa, 125 University Private, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada; (E.J.T.)
- Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON K1Y 4E9, Canada
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De Sario M, de'Donato FK, Bonafede M, Marinaccio A, Levi M, Ariani F, Morabito M, Michelozzi P. Occupational heat stress, heat-related effects and the related social and economic loss: a scoping literature review. Front Public Health 2023; 11:1173553. [PMID: 37601227 PMCID: PMC10434255 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1173553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2023] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction While there is consistent evidence on the effects of heat on workers' health and safety, the evidence on the resulting social and economic impacts is still limited. A scoping literature review was carried out to update the knowledge about social and economic impacts related to workplace heat exposure. Methods The literature search was conducted in two bibliographic databases (Web of Science and PubMed), to select publications from 2010 to April 2022. Results A total of 89 studies were included in the qualitative synthesis (32 field studies, 8 studies estimating healthcare-related costs, and 49 economic studies). Overall, consistent evidence of the socioeconomic impacts of heat exposure in the workplace emerges. Actual productivity losses at the global level are nearly 10% and are expected to increase up to 30-40% under the worst climate change scenario by the end of the century. Vulnerable regions are mainly low-latitude and low- and middle-income countries with a greater proportion of outdoor workers but include also areas from developed countries such as southern Europe. The most affected sectors are agriculture and construction. There is limited evidence regarding the role of cooling measures and changes in the work/rest schedule in mitigating heat-related productivity loss. Conclusion The available evidence highlights the need for strengthening prevention efforts to enhance workers' awareness and resilience toward occupational heat exposure, particularly in low- and middle-income countries but also in some areas of developed countries where an increase in frequency and intensity of heat waves is expected under future climate change scenarios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuela De Sario
- Department of Epidemiology Lazio Regional Health Service, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Michela Bonafede
- Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Epidemiology and Hygiene Department, Italian Workers' Compensation Authority (INAIL), Rome, Italy
| | - Alessandro Marinaccio
- Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Epidemiology and Hygiene Department, Italian Workers' Compensation Authority (INAIL), Rome, Italy
| | - Miriam Levi
- Epidemiology Unit, Department of Prevention, Central Tuscany Local Health Authority, Florence, Italy
| | - Filippo Ariani
- Regional Centre for the Analysis of Data on Occupational and Work-Related Injuries and Diseases, Central Tuscany Local Health Authority, Florence, Italy
| | - Marco Morabito
- Institute of Bioeconomy, National Research Council (IBE-CNR), Florence, Italy
| | - Paola Michelozzi
- Department of Epidemiology Lazio Regional Health Service, Rome, Italy
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Bach AJ, Palutikof JP, Tonmoy FN, Smallcombe JW, Rutherford S, Joarder AR, Hossain M, Jay O. Retrofitting passive cooling strategies to combat heat stress in the face of climate change: A case study of a ready-made garment factory in Dhaka, Bangladesh. ENERGY AND BUILDINGS 2023; 286:112954. [PMID: 37601430 PMCID: PMC7614966 DOI: 10.1016/j.enbuild.2023.112954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/22/2023]
Abstract
The ready-made garment industry is critical to the Bangladesh economy. There is an urgent need to improve current working conditions and build capacity for heat mitigation as conditions worsen due to climate change. We modelled a typical, mid-sized, non-air-conditioned factory in Bangladesh and simulated how the indoor thermal environment is altered by four rooftop retrofits (1. extensive green roof, 2. rooftop shading, 3. white cool roof, 4. insulated white cool roof) on present-day and future decades under different climate scenarios. Simulations showed that all strategies reduce indoor air temperatures by around 2 °C on average and reduce the number of present-day annual work-hours during which wetbulb globe temperature exceeds the standardised limits for moderate work rates by up to 603 h - the equivalent of 75 (8 h) working days per year. By 2050 under a high-emissions scenario, indoor conditions with a rooftop intervention are comparable to present-day conditions. To reduce the growing need for carbon-intensive air-conditioning, sustainable heat mitigation strategies need to be incorporated into a wider range of solutions at the individual, building, and urban level. The results presented here have implications for factory planning and retrofit design, and may inform policies targeting worker health, well-being, and productivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron J.E. Bach
- National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility (NCCARF), Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia
- Cities Research Institute, Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia
| | - Jean P. Palutikof
- National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility (NCCARF), Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia
- Cities Research Institute, Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia
| | - Fahim N. Tonmoy
- National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility (NCCARF), Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia
- BMT Group, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - James W. Smallcombe
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Heat and Health Research Incubator, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Shannon Rutherford
- Cities Research Institute, Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia
- School of Medicine and Dentistry, Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia
| | - Ashikur R. Joarder
- Department of Architecture, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Monir Hossain
- Department of Architecture, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Ollie Jay
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Heat and Health Research Incubator, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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Borg MA, Xiang J, Anikeeva O, Pisaniello D, Hansen A, Zander K, Dear K, Sim MR, Bi P. Occupational heat stress and economic burden: A review of global evidence. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2021; 195:110781. [PMID: 33516686 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.110781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2020] [Revised: 11/22/2020] [Accepted: 01/19/2021] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The adverse effects of heat on workers' health and work productivity are well documented. However, the resultant economic consequences and productivity loss are less understood. This review aims to summarize the retrospective and potential future economic burden of workplace heat exposure in the context of climate change. METHODS Literature was searched from database inception to October 2020 using Embase, PubMed, and Scopus. Articles were limited to original human studies investigating costs from occupational heat stress in English. RESULTS Twenty studies met criteria for inclusion. Eighteen studies estimated costs secondary to heat-induced labor productivity loss. Predicted global costs from lost worktime, in US$, were 280 billion in 1995, 311 billion in 2010 (≈0.5% of GDP), 2.4-2.5 trillion in 2030 (>1% of GDP) and up to 4.0% of GDP by 2100. Three studies estimated heat-related healthcare expenses from occupational injuries with averaged annual costs (US$) exceeding 1 million in Spain, 1 million in Guangzhou, China and 250,000 in Adelaide, Australia. Low- and middle-income countries and countries with warmer climates had greater losses as a proportion of GDP. Greater costs per worker were observed in outdoor industries, medium-sized businesses, amongst males, and workers aged 25-44 years. CONCLUSIONS The estimated global economic burden of occupational heat stress is substantial. Climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies should be implemented to likely minimize future costs. Further research exploring the relationship between occupational heat stress and related expenses from lost productivity, decreased work efficiency and healthcare, and costs stratified by demographic factors, is warranted. Key messages. The estimated retrospective and future economic burden from occupational heat stress is large. Responding to climate change is crucial to minimize this burden. Analyzing heat-attributable occupational costs may guide the development of workplace heat management policies and practices as part of global warming strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew A Borg
- School of Public Health, University of Adelaide, 57 North Terrace, Adelaide, SA, 5000, Australia.
| | - Jianjun Xiang
- School of Public Health, University of Adelaide, 57 North Terrace, Adelaide, SA, 5000, Australia.
| | - Olga Anikeeva
- School of Public Health, University of Adelaide, 57 North Terrace, Adelaide, SA, 5000, Australia.
| | - Dino Pisaniello
- School of Public Health, University of Adelaide, 57 North Terrace, Adelaide, SA, 5000, Australia.
| | - Alana Hansen
- School of Public Health, University of Adelaide, 57 North Terrace, Adelaide, SA, 5000, Australia.
| | - Kerstin Zander
- Northern Institute, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT, 0909, Australia.
| | - Keith Dear
- School of Public Health, University of Adelaide, 57 North Terrace, Adelaide, SA, 5000, Australia.
| | - Malcolm R Sim
- Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health and Preventative Medicine, The Alfred Centre, Monash University, 553 St Kilda Road, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia.
| | - Peng Bi
- School of Public Health, University of Adelaide, 57 North Terrace, Adelaide, SA, 5000, Australia.
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Zheng M, Zhang J, Shi L, Zhang D, Pangali Sharma TP, Prodhan FA. Mapping Heat-Related Risks in Northern Jiangxi Province of China Based on Two Spatial Assessment Frameworks Approaches. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:ijerph17186584. [PMID: 32927631 PMCID: PMC7559026 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17186584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2020] [Revised: 08/24/2020] [Accepted: 09/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Heat-health risk is a growing concern in many regions of China due to the more frequent occurrence of extremely hot weather. Spatial indexes based on various heat assessment frameworks can be used for the assessment of heat risks. In this study, we adopted two approaches—Crichton’s risk triangle and heat vulnerability index (HVI) to identify heat-health risks in the Northern Jiangxi Province of China, by using remote sensing and socio-economic data. The Geographical Information System (GIS) overlay and principal component analysis (PCA) were separately used in two frameworks to integrate parameters. The results show that the most densely populated community in the suburbs, instead of city centers, are exposed to the highest heat risk. A comparison of two heat assessment mapping indicates that the distribution of HVI highlights the vulnerability differences between census tracts. In contrast, the heat risk index of Crichton’s risk triangle has a prominent representation for regions with high risks. The stepwise multiple linear regression zero-order correlation coefficient between HVI and outdoor workers is 0.715, highlighting the vulnerability of this particular group. Spearman’s rho nonparametric correlation and the mean test reveals that heat risk index is strongly correlated with HVI in most of the main urban regions in the study area, with a significantly lower value than the latter. The analysis of variance shows that the distribution of HVI exhibits greater variety across urban regions than that of heat risk index. Our research provides new insight into heat risk assessment for further study of heat health risk in developing countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minxuan Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Digital Earth Sciences, Aerospace Information Research Institute (AIR), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing 100094, China; (M.Z.); (L.S.); (D.Z.); (T.P.P.S.); (F.A.P.)
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jiahua Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Digital Earth Sciences, Aerospace Information Research Institute (AIR), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing 100094, China; (M.Z.); (L.S.); (D.Z.); (T.P.P.S.); (F.A.P.)
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- Correspondence:
| | - Lamei Shi
- Key Laboratory of Digital Earth Sciences, Aerospace Information Research Institute (AIR), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing 100094, China; (M.Z.); (L.S.); (D.Z.); (T.P.P.S.); (F.A.P.)
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Da Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Digital Earth Sciences, Aerospace Information Research Institute (AIR), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing 100094, China; (M.Z.); (L.S.); (D.Z.); (T.P.P.S.); (F.A.P.)
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Til Prasad Pangali Sharma
- Key Laboratory of Digital Earth Sciences, Aerospace Information Research Institute (AIR), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing 100094, China; (M.Z.); (L.S.); (D.Z.); (T.P.P.S.); (F.A.P.)
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Foyez Ahmed Prodhan
- Key Laboratory of Digital Earth Sciences, Aerospace Information Research Institute (AIR), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing 100094, China; (M.Z.); (L.S.); (D.Z.); (T.P.P.S.); (F.A.P.)
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- Department of Agricultural Extension and Rural Development, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University, Gazipur-1706, Bangladesh
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Xu X, Chen Z, Huo X, Wang C, Li N, Meng X, Wang Q, Liu Q, Bi P, Li J. The effects of temperature on human mortality in a Chinese city: burden of disease calculation, attributable risk exploration, and vulnerability identification. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOMETEOROLOGY 2019; 63:1319-1329. [PMID: 31240387 DOI: 10.1007/s00484-019-01746-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2019] [Revised: 06/06/2019] [Accepted: 06/06/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Few studies have examined the attributable fraction (AF) of temperature to mortality and Years of Life Lost (YLL), especially in developing countries. This study aims to explore the short-term effect of the cold and hot temperatures on the cause-specific YLL and mortality, discover the attributable contributions from the temperature variations, and identify the vulnerable populations in Weifang, China. Daily registered death information and meteorological data over the period 2010-2016 were obtained in Weifang, a northern Chinese city. Generalized additive Poisson and Gaussian regression models were used to assess the impacts of temperatures on both mortality and YLL, explore the AF of the temperature variations on mortality, after adjusting for other covariates. Both hot and cold temperatures have had significant negative impacts on cause-specific mortality counts and YLL, with heat presented an acute and short effect and the cold temperatures had delayed effects and lasted for several days. In terms of the attributable fraction calculations, the contributions from cold effects was higher than that of hot effects on non-accidental, cardiovascular, and respiratory deaths (YLL 10.88 vs. 1.23%, 19.58 vs. 1.71%, and 14.47 vs. 3.05%; mortality 13.97 vs. 1.65%, 19.20 vs. 1.59%, and 14.89 vs. 3.09%), respectively. The elderly and women and people with low education level were the most vulnerable. The findings will provide important scientific evidences and policy implications for developing adaptation strategies to reduce the adverse effect of cold and hot exposure in Weifang, in terms of resource allocation, healthcare workforce capacity building, and community health education, especially for the vulnerable groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Xu
- Affiliated Hospital of Weifang Medical University, Weifang, 261053, Shandong Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Zuosen Chen
- Weifang Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Weifang, 261061, Shandong Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiyuan Huo
- Weifang Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Weifang, 261061, Shandong Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Chunping Wang
- School of Public Health and Management, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, 261053, Shandong Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Ning Li
- Weifang Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Weifang, 261061, Shandong Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Xianfeng Meng
- Weifang Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Weifang, 261061, Shandong Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Qiang Wang
- School of Public Health and Management, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, 261053, Shandong Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Qiyong Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, 102206, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Peng Bi
- School of Public Health, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, 5005, SA, Australia
| | - Jing Li
- School of Public Health and Management, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, 261053, Shandong Province, People's Republic of China.
- "Health Shandong" Major Social Risk Prediction and Governance Collaborative Innovation Center, Weifang, 261053, Shandong Province, People's Republic of China.
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Ma R, Zhong S, Morabito M, Hajat S, Xu Z, He Y, Bao J, Sheng R, Li C, Fu C, Huang C. Estimation of work-related injury and economic burden attributable to heat stress in Guangzhou, China. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 666:147-154. [PMID: 30798225 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.02.201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2018] [Revised: 01/30/2019] [Accepted: 02/13/2019] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Climate change has exacerbated the health effects of high ambient temperatures on occupational health and safety; however, to what extent heat stress can induce workplace injuries and economic costs is poorly studied. This study aimed to quantify the attributable fractions of injury claims and subsequent insurance payouts using data from work-related injury insurance system in Guangzhou, China. METHODS Individual workers' injury claims data were collected for the period of 2011-2012, including demographic characteristics and work-related information. Daily maximum wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT, °C) was calculated from meteorological data. To examine the association between WBGT index and work-related injury, we fit a quasi-Poisson regression with distributed lag non-linear model. Then we calculated the numbers of injury claims and costs of insurance compensations attributable to days with WBGT above the heat stress limit according to the national occupational health standards. RESULTS There were 9550 work-related injury claims, resulting in an insurance payout of 282.3 million Chinese Yuan. The risks of injury claims increased with rising WBGT. 4.8% (95% eCI: 2.9%-6.9%) of work-related injuries and 4.1% (95% eCI: 0.2%-7.7%) of work-related injury insurance payouts were attributed to heat exposure for WBGT threshold above the heat stress limit. Male workers, those in small enterprises and with low educational attainment were especially sensitive to the effects of heat exposure. CONCLUSIONS Heat stress can contribute to higher risk of work-related injury and substantial economic costs. Quantified the impacts of injuries and related economic costs should be considered to develop targeted preventive measures in the context of climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Ma
- School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shuang Zhong
- Center for Chinese Public Administration Research, School of Government, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Marco Morabito
- Institute of Biometeorology, National Research Council, Florence, Italy; Centre of Bioclimatology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Shakoor Hajat
- Department of Public Health, Environments and Society, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Zhiwei Xu
- School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yiling He
- School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Junzhe Bao
- School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Rongrong Sheng
- School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Changchang Li
- School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chuandong Fu
- Guangdong Provincial Work Injury Rehabilitation Hospital, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Cunrui Huang
- School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
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