Why does the International Labour Organisation feel that it is time to come up with climate-change specific policies and even create new policies to protect workers worldwide? Well, as per the recently adopted ILO Global Strategy on Occupational Safety and Health 2024-30, it is high time that Occupation Safety and Health (OSH) is positioned high on global and national-policy agendas. After all, workers are the first to bear the brunt of these hazards via exposure. Serious collaborations, both nationally as well as at the global level, are required to ensure meaningful progress in the area of OSH.
The report, ‘Ensuring safety and health at work in a changing climate’, states that hazards resulting from climate change are evolving and growing in intensity. Workers are increasingly at risk from excessive heat, ultraviolet radiation, extreme weather events, workplace air pollution, vector-borne diseases and agrochemicals
Therefore, the need of the hour is to re-examine and re-assess the existing legislations and if required, design new ones so that proper guidance is available to ensure workers are well protected.
A step towards this is to integrate OSH considerations climate-related policies, and ensure that climate concerns are integrated into OSH practice.
The presently available research or scientific evident is not enough, especially in several critical areas. Whatever limited evidence is available pertains primarily to public health instead of occupational health. There has to be deeper research to ensure better response and guidance in terms of occupational health and safety. Enhanced research and a stronger evidence base are needed to guide response. Only then will it be possible to assess how effective preventive OSH measures are, globally and across various sectors.
It is the government’s duty to coordinate OSH policies and programmes with the help of the labour and health ministries.
It is necessary to have a social dialogue between governments and social partners so that climate-change mitigation policies can be developed and adapted for the good of the workers and their employers.
