World Day for Safety and Health at Work spotlights climate change risks at the workplace

As the climate crisis deepens, the world of work is undergoing a silent emergency. Rising temperatures, environmental degradation, and shifting disease patterns are transforming workplaces, intensifying occupational hazards. The World Day for Safety and Health at Work, observed annually on 28 April, is a call to protect human well-being amid escalating global risks. This year’s theme focuses on the impacts of climate change on occupational safety and health, aligning with key Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including climate action, gender equality, economic equality, and justice and strong institutions.

Creating resilient work environments is essential not only for sustainability but also for social and economic stability. In the face of growing environmental uncertainty, safeguarding workers is not just a moral obligation it is fundamental to protecting the future of the global economy.

Climate change and occupational safety: A growing global concern

According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), more than 2.4 billion workers, or 75% of the global workforce, are exposed to excessive heat — one of the most pressing and measurable consequences of climate change in the workplace. By 2030, the ILO projects that 80 million full-time jobs could be lost due to heat stress alone, resulting in economic losses of up to USD 2.4 trillion annually.

Other climate-related occupational hazards include:

Air pollution, responsible for 7 million premature deaths each year, with industrial and urban workers particularly exposed.
Ultraviolet radiation, linked to a rise in skin cancer rates among outdoor workers, especially in agriculture and construction.
Vector-borne diseases, such as malaria and dengue, which are expanding into new regions due to warming climates.

These dangers do not affect all countries equally. Nations in the Global South, particularly in South Asia, West Africa, and Central America, face the highest risks due to a combination of high temperatures, informal employment, and weak institutional safety systems. For example:

In India, more than 70% of the workforce is engaged in heat-exposed sectors such as agriculture and manufacturing.
In Nigeria, informal workers, often without access to protective gear or insurance, bear the brunt of unsafe work environments.
In Bangladesh, climate-vulnerable garment factories are now integrating heat stress mitigation, but regulation remains inconsistent.

In contrast, Nordic countries, including Sweden, Norway, and Finland, are among the safest places to work globally. These nations benefit from robust labour protections, strong social dialogue, and the early integration of climate adaptation strategies into workplace policy.

Emerging risks: The impact of modern work structures

Beyond climate-related hazards, workplace safety is being reshaped by technological, demographic, and economic shifts. Emerging forms of employment — including gig work, self-employment, and temporary contracts — often exclude workers from formal protections. These non-standard jobs, which now make up over 60% of employment in developing countries, increase vulnerability to occupational diseases, injury, and exploitation.

Moreover, mental health is becoming a critical workplace issue. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 15% of working-age adults live with a mental disorder, often worsened by stress, job insecurity, and climate anxiety. Employers and institutions must address this intersection between mental well-being and physical health to achieve holistic occupational safety.

Global Society and international collaboration

Addressing these multi-faceted challenges requires a systemic, science-informed and globally coordinated approach. The Global Society, composed of academic institutions, civil society groups, and international agencies, plays a vital role in fostering cross-sector collaboration, promoting Peace and Justice, and sharing best practices.

Initiatives like the Vision Zero Fund, led by the ILO with support from the G7, aim to eliminate work-related deaths in high-risk supply chains by improving monitoring, regulation, and worker training. In Latin America, the Red de Seguridad y Salud en el Trabajo facilitates regional dialogue and action plans for improving climate resilience in occupational health systems.

The integration of climate risk assessments into OSH policies, investments in data collection, and support for vulnerable workers are key strategies that international actors must expand. A unified global effort is essential not only to meet SDGs but also to reduce the enormous human and financial costs of unsafe work environments.

Path forward: Prevention, protection, and policy

To reduce occupational hazards linked to climate change, countries must:

Revise national OSH laws to reflect new climate realities.
Develop early warning systems and climate-resilient infrastructure.
Promote education and training to equip workers with adaptive skills.
Ensure that gender-responsive strategies are embedded into safety protocols, recognising that women are disproportionately affected by informal employment and heat-related risks.

Efforts to create safe, inclusive, and sustainable workspaces are critical in confronting not only the climate crisis, but also broader issues of social justice, economic inequality, and environmental protection. The World Day for Safety and Health at Work is both a reminder and a rallying cry — we must act now to protect lives and livelihoods in the future world of work.