Extreme Heat is an Occupational Hazard: WHO×WMO Present "7 Prescriptions for Workplace Heat Countermeasures" - Addressing Heat Stress is Both a Health and Management Issue

"We cannot leave a society where just going to work damages kidney function." The joint message issued by the United Nations health agency WHO and the meteorological agency WMO on August 22 is a call to update the conventional wisdom of "work" in the era of the climate crisis. The two organizations have completely revised their old technical report on workplace heat stress from 1969 for the first time in half a century, urging governments and employers worldwide to take "urgent action."ReutersWorld Health Organization

What's "new": Numbers reveal the reality

• 2.4 billion people (the majority of the world's workforce) are exposed to excessive heat.

• 22.85 million workplace injuries and approximately 19,000 deaths are directly related to high-temperature exposure at work.

• Productivity decreases by 2-3% for every 1°C increase over 20°C (based on WBGT and other heat index standards).

• The impact extends not only to outdoor agriculture, construction, and fishing but also to indoor sites surrounded by high-temperature equipment.
  These are quantitative results supported by ILO epidemiological estimates and WHO/WMO reviews.International Labour Organization+1The Verge

The WMO reported that 2024 became the hottest year on record. This means that it was not an "exceptional summer" but an "update of the norm." Heat is surging like a wave, eroding the foundational strength of the labor market.World Meteorological Organization

Contents of the measures: Breaks are not a cost but an "investment"

The new guidance features tools that "fall to the field." For example, urine color charts and simple checks for weight loss to immediately detect dehydration, installation of shade and cooling stations, review of work clothing, and designing work-rest-hydration cycles are introduced as a set. It is required to formulate "heat action plans" by industry and region, with labor and management and health professionals jointly operating them.Financial TimesWorld Health Organization

Furthermore, in the medical and emergency fields, it is suggested that heat-related illnesses are easily overlooked, and strengthening the understanding of occupational exposure and medical education is proposed. In terms of legal regulation, standards such as statutory maximum working temperatures could be an option, but the optimal solution varies depending on the climate and industrial structure, emphasizing implementability over "rigid uniformity."Investing.com

Reasons for slow implementation: Don't just look at costs

The misconception that breaks and cooling reduce productivity is persistent. However, as the report shows, productivity decreases by 2-3% for every 1°C increase in heat. This is an "invisible cost" already being paid when no measures are taken, and measures are rather a reduction of losses. WMO Deputy Secretary-General Ko Barrett emphasizes, "Worker protection is both a health issue and an economic issue."Reuters

How the world is moving: Policy and corporate initiatives

In the United States, a federal-level heat safety regulation proposal has been presented, and bills to enhance protection measures by local governments and the public sector have been submitted to Congress. In Ontario, Canada, the Heat Stress Act (2025 proposal) is being discussed, and the creation of a statutory protection framework is progressing. All of these include practical content that aligns with corporate practices, such as rescheduling work schedules, mandating hydration and cooling stations, and strengthening hazard communication.The VergeSmart Cities DiveCanadian Environmental Law Association

Reactions on SNS—spreading "practical wisdom"

• WHO official posted that "2.4 billion people are exposed to deadly heat," calling for the implementation of 7 steps from the new guide.X (formerly Twitter)

• WMO official also highlighted "significant impacts on health and productivity," positioning workplace heat measures as a "life-threatening" issue.X (formerly Twitter)

• WHO Director-General Tedros pointed out the "rapid increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme heat," guiding access to the report.X (formerly Twitter)

• UN/UNDESA account also spread the word, supporting implementation by governments and companies.X (formerly Twitter)

• Global Heat Health Information Network (GHIN) and specialized agencies shared the behind-the-scenes of the creation support and explained how to use field tools in threads.X (formerly Twitter)

• In the labor world, organizations like AFL-CIO re-emphasized the need for regulation and heat-related deaths domestically. On Facebook, awareness continues with examples of "preventable deaths."Facebook

• Media also spreads the word. Reuters headlines "Urgent action," and The Verge reports on the policy debate as the "largest factor in workplace accidents."X (formerly Twitter)The Verge

Implementation checklist for companies (editorial suggestion)

1. Update risk assessment to "WBGT standard": Consider not only temperature but also humidity, radiation, wind, clothing, and metabolism.

2. Redesign work schedules: Schedule to avoid extreme heat periods, work: rest: hydration cycle documentation.

3. On-site infrastructure: Shade and cooling stations, portable misters, ice vests, lightweight and breathable PPE.

4. Dehydration monitoring: urine color charts, pre- and post-work weight difference checks, salt and electrolyte replenishment.Financial Times

5. Education and training: Early signs of heat-related illnesses and emergency response for managers, workers, and first responders.World Health Organization

6. Stakeholder collaboration: Formulate "heat action plans" in collaboration with labor, health authorities, and local healthcare.Investing.com

7. KPI: Record heat-related near misses, absences, and emergency response times, and visualize the investment effectiveness for prevention.

Dispelling misunderstandings: Three common counterarguments

• "It's safe because it's indoors": Indoor areas with heat sources, such as steel mills, kitchens, and warehouses, are high-risk. Financial Times

• "It's a matter of individual physical strength": Climate change has altered the basic conditions. It cannot be reduced to individual responsibility.World Meteorological Organization##HTML_TAG_