Hot and hazy weather poses risks to employees

July 24, 2023

  

Image: From DALL-E with prompt “Impressionist painting of a hot and steamy day with an especially bright sun”

It’s hot!

The US southwest is sweltering with heat indexes above 110 degrees for weeks on end, and most of the rest of the country is either in the midst of a heat wave or blanketed by smoky clouds from wildfires across northern Canada. Southern Europe is also seeing the hottest temperatures in history, as is the Middle East.

Most of us do our outdoor exercise in the early morning or evening - and working outdoors or inside without air conditioning is not merely uncomfortable - it poses substantial health risks.

The extreme heat has created new challenges within medical care. The unhoused are especially likely to require emergency care, and hospitals across the country are reporting increased cases of heat stroke. Cities like Phoenix that are accustomed to prolonged hot weather have developed approaches to address heat-related injuries. Communities unaccustomed to extreme heat and humidity, like the Pacific Northwest, are at especially high risk because fewer have air conditioning and providers are not accustomed to delivering a high rate of heat-related emergency care.

Here’s a link to a post from this spring about how climate change could lead to higher overall health care costs.

Implications for employers:

• Outdoor workers or those indoor workers without air conditioning might need to work different hours and should have access to hydration and cooling.

• Workers can wear N95 or KN95 masks to protect against poor air quality from wildfires; however, these masks can be uncomfortable in hot weather.

• Hot weather could force rescheduling or reimagining of summer team-building activities.

• Some employees might have unexpected childcare issues as outdoor activities are restricted.

Tuesday: Alcoholic liver disease on the rise

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Thanks, and have a great day!

Jeff