The effects of climate change on the health of Australian outdoor workers

THE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE
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Background Information
There are potentially dangerous effects of ultraviolet (UV) radiation on human beings and we ought to avail ourselves with enough information so as to protect ourselves from these harmful phenomena. The INTERSUN report says: “Following a detailed review of the scientific literature conducted by a WHO Task Group meeting convened under joint sponsorship with the United Nations Environment Programme and the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection, a number of adverse health effects resulting from exposure to UV have been identified that need to be addressed through further research and more particularly through educational programmes for people most exposed to UV.”
Introduction
There is notably an increase of empirical findings on the devastating effects of climate change on the health of humans and on their general well-being altogether. As Nilsson & Kjellstrom (2010) document, The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has described climate change as a major threat to climatic conditions that have always been a basis for human life as well as human health. These changes to the climatic conditions of respective areas shall be expected to influence afresh the basics requirements that have always been needed in order to sustain and support human health especially healthy food, fresh air, water that is clean negatively. These adverse effects are expected to be unequally distributed and therefore further creating an air of uncertainty about the future of the globe especially with regard to our environment.
More specifically, climate change has been established to have adverse effects on the working populace. This paper highlights the impact of climate change will have on outdoor workers in Australia and by extension the impact this shall have on their health and work.
Impact of Climate Change on Australian Outdoor Workers
There have been various findings that have shown that climate change has had adverse effects on the people who work at the outdoors in Australia. These effects include exhaustion as a result of heat as well as heat stroke. In a pilot study titled Climate change impacts on working people (the HOTHAPS initiative): findings of the South African pilot study conducted in South Africa by Angela Mathee, Joy Oba and Andre Rose in 2010, it was established that in a place where a daily minimum temperature was recorded to be 40 degrees Celsius, outdoor workers reportedly suffered from serious effects such as sunburns, irritability, sleeplessness and exhaustion that eventually resulted to a difficulty in maintaining the levels of working therefore reducing output in such hot weather conditions. In South Africa’s case however, as Mathee et al write, very few steps had been taken to improve or protect the health of the outdoor workers in the study.
Other minor and opportunistic side effects are a n increased risk for contracting infections, a changing transmission and distribution of vector-borne diseases, sanitation and water challenges, malnutrition and several types of injuries that have been brought about due to accidents in weather conditions that is extreme. The poorest workers, regardless of the wealth of any state are the most at risk due to exposure to high risk heat that is intense; As Confalonieri, et al. (2007) write: “Certain groups of people in low-income countries are especially at risk for adverse health effects from climate change. These at-risk groups include the urban poor, older adults, young children, traditional societies, subsistence farmers, and coastal populations. Many regions, such as Europe, South Asia, Australia, and North America, have experienced heat-related health impacts. Rural populations, older adults, outdoor workers, and those without access to air conditioning are often the most vulnerable to heat-related illness and death. For more information about the climate impacts on vulnerable populations, please visit the Society Impacts & Adaptation page.”
It is true that climate change with regard to health is still a relatively new research field that still requires more empirical studies in order to provide fool-proof arguments based on evidence. However, with projections future projects made and currently available evidence, there have elicited strong calls to ensure development and implementation of strategies that are aimed at mitigating and adapting to changes of...