The impact of excessive hit at work in Bangladesh is higher than the global average, though the situation has worsened more slowly over the past 20 years, according to the International Labour Organisation.
On July 25, the ILO published a report titled 鈥楬eat at work: Implications for safety and health鈥�.
The ILO said that 70 million workers in Bangladesh were exposed to excessive heat in 2020, a 51-per cent increase since 2000, compared with the global average increase of 34.86 per cent.
It also said that over 98 per cent of the national labour force was exposed, with the majority (over 96 per cent) occurring outside of heatwaves.
The report mentioned that in Bangladesh, over 4,50,000 occupational injuries in 2020 were attributed to extreme heat, accounting for 8.46 per cent of all workplace injuries in the country.
In comparison, less than 3 per cent of injuries were due to workplace fires.
This percentage (8.46 per cent) is higher than the global average of 6.14 per cent, although the increase was slightly slower than the global average (2.66 per cent increase compared with 2.92 per cent), the ILO report said.
Additionally, in 2020, over 1.6 million people in Bangladesh lived with kidney disease attributable to heat stress at work.
This accounts for 3.53 per cent of all kidney disease cases in the country, higher than the global burden of approximately 3.1per cent, indicating a larger share due to occupational heat stress, the report said.
The report warned that heat stress is an invisible and silent killer that can quickly cause illness, heatstroke, or even death.
Over time, it can also lead to serious heart, lung and kidney problems for workers, the study underlined.
The report revealed that workplace exposures to excessive heat in Asia and the Pacific were above the global average, affecting 74.7 per cent of the workforce.
According to the report, 4,200 workers globally lost their lives to heatwaves in 2020.
In total, 231 million workers were exposed to heatwaves in 2020, a 66-per cent increase from 2000.
However, nine out of 10 workers globally were exposed to excessive heat outside of heatwaves, and eight in 10 occupational injuries from extreme heat occurred outside of heatwaves, the report mentioned.
The report indicated that workers in Africa, the Arab States and Asia and the Pacific were most often exposed to excessive heat and in these regions, 92.9 per cent, 83.6 per cent and 74.7 per cent of the workforce were affected, respectively, all above the global average of 71 per cent.
聽Improved safety and health measures to prevent injuries from excessive heat in the workplace could save up to $361 billion globally 鈥� in lost income and medical treatment expenses 鈥� as the heat stress crisis accelerates, affecting global regions differently, the study observed.
The ILO estimates show that low- and middle-income economies, in particular, are the most affected, as the costs of injuries from excessive heat in the workplace can reach about 1.5 per cent of national gross domestic product.
This is human rights issue, a workers鈥� rights issue, and an economic issue, and middle-income economies are bearing the biggest brunt, said Manal Azzi, ILO鈥檚 team lead for occupational safety and health.
鈥榃e need year-round heat action plans and legislation to protect workers, and stronger global collaboration among experts to harmonise heat stress assessments and interventions at work,鈥� she said.
The report examined legislative measures in 21 countries to identify common features for effective workplace heat safety plans.
It outlined key concepts of a safety and health management system to protect workers from heat-related illnesses and injuries.
Building on an April report, it highlighted that climate change posed serious health hazards for 2.4 billion workers exposed to excessive heat, causing 22.85 million occupational injuries and 18,970 deaths annually.
