Workers’ health under climate change: Excessive Heat

datavis
Climate change
Workers Health
Tableau
Series of dez infographics describing the main risks to workers’ health related to climate change and the environment [^1] International Labour Organization (ILO) 2024
Author
Affiliation

Edgar Rodriguez-Huerta

University of Nottingham, Rights Lab

Published

December 31, 2025

Modified

February 4, 2026

Effect of excessive heat on workers’ health

Short-term health effects include dehydration, heat exhaustion, heat cramps, reduced cognitive function, and increased risk of occupational injuries due to fatigue and impaired concentration. These immediate impacts can lower productivity and raise accident rates, often without adequate access to rest, shade, or potable water.

Long-term exposure to excessive heat is associated with chronic kidney disease, cardiovascular strain, worsening respiratory conditions, and long-lasting impacts on mental health. Repeated heat stress can also accelerate physical wear, shorten working lives, and increase economic insecurity among already vulnerable workers.

Addressing heat stress through regulation, social protection, and workplace adaptation is essential to ensure decent work, protect health, and sustain agricultural livelihoods in a warming climate.

Our Excessive Heat Score

The excessive heat score is estimated by integrating three indicators: the Wet Bulb Global Temperature (WBGT) 5-year period return1, maximum WBGT2, and accumulated heat waves, defined as periods of at least three consecutive days of excessive heat3. This composite metric captures the intensity, frequency, and persistence of heat exposure, aligning with international frameworks on occupational safety and health in the context of climate change4.

Data visualization summarizes the analysis of excessive heat in Brazil, disaggregated by municipality, population, and crops, to identify spatial differences and heat stress hotspots across dimensions. By translating complex climate and socio-environmental data into accessible visual formats, data visualization supports better decision-making, enabling targeted interventions, risk prioritization, and policies that advance decent work in agriculture.

Download

Share it on social media:

Footnotes

  1. ThinkHazard! Global Extreme Heat Hazard. World Bank Data Catalog. https://datacatalog.worldbank.org/search/dataset/0040194/Global-extreme-heat-hazard↩︎

  2. Ormaza-Zulueta, N., Mehrabi, Z., 2025. Global inequality in environmental conditions underpinning human rights. Environ. Res. Commun. 7, 095017. https://doi.org/10.1088/2515-7620/ae0407↩︎

  3. Climate–Conflict–Vulnerability Index (CCVI). Climate data (2024-Q4). https://climatevulnerabilityindex.org↩︎

  4. International Labour Organization (ILO). Ensuring safety and health at work in a changing climate. https://www.ilo.org/global/topics/safety-and-health-at-work/resources-library/publications/WCMS_893111/lang–en/index.htm↩︎

Reuse