GENEVA (AP) — The U.N. labor organization warned Monday that more than 70% of the global workforce will likely be exposed to excessive heat during their careers, citing rising concerns about exposure to sunlight. He also warned about air pollution, pesticides and other dangers that can lead to health problems, including cancer.
In a new report, the International Labor Organization suggested ways in which governments can improve their legislation and help address the growing effects of climate change on workers.
“It is clear that climate change is already creating significant additional risks to the health of workers,” said Manal Azzi, leader of the organization’s occupational health and safety team. “It is essential that we heed these warnings.”
The ILO estimates that more than 2.4 billion workers — more than 70% of the global workforce — are likely to face excessive heat as part of their jobs at some point, according to the most recent figures available from 2020. This value is higher than more than 65%. in 2000.
The Geneva-based body cited the growing link between climate change and harm to human health, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, respiratory problems and mental health.
It estimates, for example, that 1.6 billion workers are exposed to ultraviolet radiation as part of their jobs, citing nearly 19,000 deaths per year due to non-melanoma skin cancer and illnesses as diverse as sunburn, skin blisters and eye injuries, cataracts and retina. problems such as macular degeneration.
The same number of workers – 1.6 billion – are exposed to air pollution in the workplace “resulting in up to 860,000 work-related deaths among outdoor workers annually,” it said in a statement.
The report says some subgroups of workers are particularly vulnerable, such as firefighters in the United States battling wildfires, which experts say have become larger and more frequent due to climate change due to high heat and excessively dry conditions.
“Workers are often forgotten when we talk about climate change and the health impacts are very serious, from the deaths of millions of sick people due to the dangers exacerbated by climate change, but also millions living with chronic illnesses,” said Aziz .
Some countries have taken action by enacting legislation that requires regular surveillance of workers regularly exposed to heat, excessive sunlight, air pollution and other health risks at work. In other cases, the ILO says collective bargaining agreements between labor and business leaders helped mitigate risks.
UN agencies and environmental activists have increasingly sought to highlight the link between climate change and human health. Planet Earth recorded a 10th consecutive month of record monthly temperatures in March, according to the European Union’s climate agency.
The world health organization estimates that between 2030 and 2050, just a handful of climate-related threats, such as malaria and water insecurity, will claim a quarter of a million additional lives every year.
