Industrial Health 2013, 51, 1–2

Editorial
Climate Change and Occupational Heat Problems
In many parts of the world ongoing climate change
during the last three decades has produced higher temperatures and occupational heat stress levels in both outdoor
and indoor workplaces1, 2). Working people are particularly
exposed to these heating trends in tropical and sub-tropicalcountries, where excessive workplace heat exposureslinked to the outdoor ambient thermal environment are a
traditional part of local life, but heat waves in cooler countries are also affecting workers health and productivity3).
Outdoor work is avoided by local people during thehottest part of the days in the hot season, as the heat stressfrom air temperature, humidity and wind, and the additional heat load from solar heat radiation, overwhelms
the human physiological capacity to maintain thermalbalance4). High workplace heat exposure is connected tovarious clinical effects and also to increased incidence ofoccupational injuries5).
The notion that indoor workers are generally sufficiently protected via air conditioning, fans or other cooling systems does not apply to most industrial workplaces
in low and middle income countries in hot parts of theworld6, 7). These are the countries where most of the global
population lives. Rapid urbanization in Asia, Africa andLatin America adds to the local heat exposures via greatamounts of construction work8) and the Urban Heat Islandeffect9).
The lack of technical protection against heat is an important threat to the health and productivity in workplaces.
Future climate change will make this situation worse formillions, and maybe even billions, of working people10).
Daily life non-work activities are also affected by highheat exposures, and for most poor people there is no distinction between work and daily chores.
This special issue of Industrial Health presents papers
on different aspects of occupational heat problems in relation to climate change. The papers present examples fromdifferent parts of the world, and highlight methods forheat exposure assessment11), standards for occupational
heat exposures12, 13), and the health and productivity risks
of workplace heat in relation to climate conditions andclimate change14). A small scientific conference on “Occupational heat exposure indicators for use in climate change

impact assessments” was held in Lund, Sweden, in August
2012, and many of the papers in this collection are basedon presentations in Lund. A joint report from the conference and related materials are planned for publication laterin 2013.

References
1) Hyatt OM, Lemke B, Kjellstrom T (2010) Regional mapsof occupational heat exposure: past, present and potential
future. Glob Health Action 3, 10.3402/gha.v3i0.5715.
[Medline]
2) Kjellstrom T, Lemke B, Hyatt O (2011) Increased
workplace heat exposure due to climate change: a potential
threat to occupational health, worker productivity and local
economic development in Asia and the Pacific region. AsiaPacific Newslett Occup Health Saf 18, 6–11.
3) Adam-Poupart A, Labreche F, Smargiassi A, Duguay P,Busque MA, Gagne C, Rintamaki H, Kjellstrom T, Zayed
J (2013) Climate change and occupational health andsafety in temperate climate: Potential impacts and research
priorities in Quebec, Canada. Ind Health 51, 68–78.
4) Parsons K (2003) Human thermal environments. The
effects of hot, moderate and cold temperatures on humanhealth, comfort and performance. 2nd Ed. London: Taylor& Francis. ISBN 0–415-23793–9.
5) Tawatsupa B, Yiengprugsawan V, Kjellstrom T, BereckiGisolf J, Seubsman S, Sleigh A (2013) The association
between heat stress and occupational injury among Thaiworkers: finding of the Thai Cohort Study. Ind Health 51,34–46.
6) Balakrishnan K, Ramalingam A, Dasu V, Stephen JC,
Sivaperumal MR, Kumarasamy D, Mukhopadhyay K,
Ghosh S, Sambandam S (2010) Case studies on heat stressrelated perceptions in different industrial sectors in southernIndia. Glob Health Acion 3, 10.3402/gha.v3i0.5635.
7) Langkulsen U, Vichit-Vadakan N, Taptagaporn S (2010)
Health impact of climate change on occupational health andproductivity in Thailand. Glob Health Action 3, 10.3402/gha.v3i0.5607. [Medline]
8) K o e h n E , B r o w n G ( 1 9 8 5 ) C l i m a t i c E f f e c t s o nConstruction. Journal of Construction Engineering andManagement 111, 129–37.
9) Lundgren K, Kuklane K, Gao C, Holmer I (2013) Effectsof heat stress on working populations when facing climatechange. Ind Health 51, 3–15.

210) K j e l l s t r o m T, L e m k e B , O t t o M ( 2 0 1 3 ) M a p p i n g
occupational heat exposure and effects in South-East Asia:
Ongoing time trends 1980–2011 and future estimates to2050. Ind Health 51, 56–67.
11) Bernard T, Barrow C (2013) Empirical approach to outdoor
WBGT from meteorological data and performance of two
different instrument designs. Ind Health 51, 79–85.
12) Parsons K (2013) Occupational health impacts of climatechange: Current and future ISO standards for assessment ofheat stress. Ind Health 51, 86–100.
13) Brode P, Blazejczyk K, Fiala D, Havenith G, HolmérI, Jendritzky G, Kuklane K, Kampmann B (2013) The
Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) comparedto ergonomics standards for assessing the thermalenvironment. Ind Health 51, 16–24.
14) Nag P, Dutta P, Nag A (2013) Critical body temperature
profile as indicator of heat stress vulnerability. Ind Health51, 113–122.

Tord KJELLSTROM
Umea University, Sweden and Australian National University, Australia
Shin-ichi SAWADA
National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, Japan
Thomas E. BERNARD
University of Southern Florida, USAKen PARSONSLoughborough University, UKHannu RINTAMÄKI
Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Finland
Ingvar HOLMÉR
Lund University, Sweden

Industrial Health 2013, 51, 1–2