KUALA LUMPUR, July 5 — As heatwaves become more frequent and intense worldwide, the health and safety of the global workforce are increasingly at risk. With 2024 expected to be Malaysia’s hottest year since 1998, according to the Minister of Natural Resources Environmental Sustainability, Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, nearly half the global population, including over one billion workers, are now exposed to high heat episodes. International SOS has reported a significant rise in heat-related assistance calls, with an 86% increase from 2021 to 2022, and a further 25% increase in 2023.
Heatstroke, dehydration, and heat exhaustion are among the dangers faced by workers in extreme heat conditions. Annually, excessive heat contributes to 22.85 million occupational injuries and 18,970 work-related deaths. By 2030, over 2% of total working hours worldwide are projected to be lost due to extreme heat, equivalent to 80 million full-time jobs. Southern Asia and Western Africa are expected to be particularly affected. Dr. Katherine O’Reilly, Regional Medical Director at International SOS, emphasizes the need for proactive measures from organizations to mitigate these risks, including integrating heat stress assessments into health and safety policies and training employees to recognize early signs of heat illness to prevent medical emergencies.
