Geneva, Switzerland—A large majority of workers worldwide are facing a cocktail of health hazards linked to climate change, the United Nations said on Monday, warning that existing regulations offered inadequate protection.
These hazards include excessive heat, UV radiation, air pollution, vector-borne diseases and agrochemicals.- Advertisement - That marks “a clear increase,” Manal Azzi, the ILO’s senior specialist on occupational safety and health, told reporters in Geneva. And those numbers do not include the more than 26 million people, who live with chronic kidney disease linked to workplace heat stress, the ILO said.The report noted that numerous dangerous health conditions in workers had been linked to climate change, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, respiratory illnesses, kidney disfunction and mental health conditions.
More than 870 million agricultural workers are meanwhile likely to be exposed to pesticides, with more than 300,000 deaths attributed to pesticide poisoning each year.