Kjellstrom Tord, Lemke Bruno, Otto Matthias
Australian National University, Canberra, Australia.
Nelson-Marlborough Institute of Technology, Nelson, New Zealand.
WHO South East Asia J Public Health. 2017 Sep;6(2):15-21. doi: 10.4103/2224-3151.213786.
Occupational health is particularly affected by high heat exposures in workplaces, which will be an increasing problem as climate change progresses. People working in jobs of moderate or heavy work intensity in hot environments are at particular risk, owing to exposure to high environmental heat and internal heat production. This heat needs to be released to protect health, and such release is difficult or impossible at high temperatures and high air humidity. A range of clinical health effects can occur, and the heat-related physical exhaustion leads to a reduction of work capacity and labour productivity, which may cause substantial economic losses. Current trends in countries of the World Health Organization South-East Asia Region are towards higher ambient heat levels during large parts of each year, and modelling indicates continuing trends, which will particularly affect low-income individuals and communities. Prevention activities need to address the climate policies of each country, and to apply currently available heat-reducing technologies in workplaces whenever possible. Work activities can be adjusted to reduce exposure to daily heat peaks or seasonal heat concerns. Application of basic occupational health principles, such as supply of drinking water, enforcement of rest periods and training of workers and supervisors, is essential.
职业健康尤其受到工作场所高温暴露的影响，随着气候变化的加剧，这将成为一个日益严重的问题。在炎热环境中从事中等或高强度工作的人面临特殊风险，这是由于暴露于高温环境和体内产热所致。为保护健康，这种热量需要散发出去，而在高温和高空气湿度条件下，这种散发很难或根本不可能实现。可能会出现一系列临床健康影响，与热相关的身体疲劳会导致工作能力和劳动生产率下降，这可能会造成巨大的经济损失。世界卫生组织东南亚区域各国目前的趋势是，每年大部分时间环境温度都在升高，模型显示这种趋势还将持续，这将尤其影响低收入个人和社区。预防活动需要考虑各国的气候政策，并尽可能在工作场所应用现有的降温技术。可以调整工作活动，以减少日常热峰值或季节性高温问题的暴露。应用基本的职业健康原则，如提供饮用水、执行休息时间以及对工人和管理人员进行培训，至关重要。
