Occupational heat stress, heat-related effects and the related social and economic loss: a scoping literature review
IntroductionWhile 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 workp...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-08-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Public Health |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1173553/full |
| _version_ | 1797756055003856896 |
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| author | Manuela De Sario Francesca Katherine de'Donato Michela Bonafede Alessandro Marinaccio Miriam Levi Filippo Ariani Marco Morabito Paola Michelozzi |
| author_facet | Manuela De Sario Francesca Katherine de'Donato Michela Bonafede Alessandro Marinaccio Miriam Levi Filippo Ariani Marco Morabito Paola Michelozzi |
| author_sort | Manuela De Sario |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | IntroductionWhile 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.MethodsThe literature search was conducted in two bibliographic databases (Web of Science and PubMed), to select publications from 2010 to April 2022.ResultsA 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.ConclusionThe 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. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T17:55:58Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e82cb003445a4139bddd881e1679a35f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-2565 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T17:55:58Z |
| publishDate | 2023-08-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Public Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-e82cb003445a4139bddd881e1679a35f2023-08-02T16:37:37ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Public Health2296-25652023-08-011110.3389/fpubh.2023.11735531173553Occupational heat stress, heat-related effects and the related social and economic loss: a scoping literature reviewManuela De Sario0Francesca Katherine de'Donato1Michela Bonafede2Alessandro Marinaccio3Miriam Levi4Filippo Ariani5Marco Morabito6Paola Michelozzi7Department of Epidemiology Lazio Regional Health Service, Rome, ItalyDepartment of Epidemiology Lazio Regional Health Service, Rome, ItalyOccupational and Environmental Medicine, Epidemiology and Hygiene Department, Italian Workers' Compensation Authority (INAIL), Rome, ItalyOccupational and Environmental Medicine, Epidemiology and Hygiene Department, Italian Workers' Compensation Authority (INAIL), Rome, ItalyEpidemiology Unit, Department of Prevention, Central Tuscany Local Health Authority, Florence, ItalyRegional Centre for the Analysis of Data on Occupational and Work-Related Injuries and Diseases, Central Tuscany Local Health Authority, Florence, ItalyInstitute of Bioeconomy, National Research Council (IBE-CNR), Florence, ItalyDepartment of Epidemiology Lazio Regional Health Service, Rome, ItalyIntroductionWhile 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.MethodsThe literature search was conducted in two bibliographic databases (Web of Science and PubMed), to select publications from 2010 to April 2022.ResultsA 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.ConclusionThe 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.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1173553/fullproductivity lossworkersclimate changeoccupational heat exposureeconomic costsscoping review |
| spellingShingle | Manuela De Sario Francesca Katherine de'Donato Michela Bonafede Alessandro Marinaccio Miriam Levi Filippo Ariani Marco Morabito Paola Michelozzi Occupational heat stress, heat-related effects and the related social and economic loss: a scoping literature review Frontiers in Public Health productivity loss workers climate change occupational heat exposure economic costs scoping review |
| title | Occupational heat stress, heat-related effects and the related social and economic loss: a scoping literature review |
| title_full | Occupational heat stress, heat-related effects and the related social and economic loss: a scoping literature review |
| title_fullStr | Occupational heat stress, heat-related effects and the related social and economic loss: a scoping literature review |
| title_full_unstemmed | Occupational heat stress, heat-related effects and the related social and economic loss: a scoping literature review |
| title_short | Occupational heat stress, heat-related effects and the related social and economic loss: a scoping literature review |
| title_sort | occupational heat stress heat related effects and the related social and economic loss a scoping literature review |
| topic | productivity loss workers climate change occupational heat exposure economic costs scoping review |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1173553/full |
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