Climate change, health and safety of workers in developing economies: A scoping review

Abstract

Climate change poses a threat to human survival, and global efforts are necessary to combat rising temperatures and the effects of climate change on human health. Developing countries with a large informal sector workforce and highly physical jobs frequently carried out under hot temperatures with inadequate safety regulations may see greater effects of climate change on human health. This scoping review was conducted to examine the impact of climate change on the occupational health and safety of workers in developing economies. Two main databases, PubMed and ScienceDirect, and other literature sources were consulted to find appropriate articles on climate change and its associated health and safety effects on workers in developing countries. Terms such as ‘climate change’, ‘global warming’, ‘ambient heat’, ‘sun heat’, ‘occupational health and safety’, ‘health’, ‘occupational illness’, ‘workers’, ‘developing countries’ and ‘low- and middle-income countries’ were among the search items. Five hundred and fourteen (514) records were identified. After screening and removing duplicates, 67 full text articles were assessed for eligibility and 34 were included in this review. Included articles (excluding literature reviews) sampled 24,736 participants. The evidence in this scoping review shows a link between climate change and injuries, fatigue, exhaustion, psychological stress, cardiovascular and respiratory issues, chronic illnesses including cancer and kidney diseases and in extreme cases, death to workers. This study provides information that will help developing economies prioritize cutting edge research, occupational health and safety, policies, campaigns and interventions that protect the ecosystem and their workforce.

Keywords

• Climate change
• Occupational health
• Developing countries
• Workers