How Extreme Heat in California Affects Outdoor Workers

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How Extreme Heat in California Affects Outdoor Workers
Californians continue to face increased heat waves that make working outside more challenging. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has been engaging employers in California and sensitizing them to safeguard outdoor employees from possible heat-related illnesses. For instance, those working under the scorching sun should be provided with shade, water, training, and enough rest to rejuvenate their energy. The OSHA legislation requires outdoor workers to be offered cool-down rest breaks, access to shades, training to recognize heat illnesses and what to do in emergencies, and freshwater (Department of Industrial Relations). The primary industries with a significant number of outdoor workers include construction, agriculture, landscaping, transportation, and gas and oil extraction. Extreme heat in California significantly affects outdoor workers, which is why they should be protected from heat illnesses and other adverse health conditions that might arise from increased heat.
Extreme heat is limiting Californians’ productivity and effectiveness to engage in their daily activities. For instance, a delivery driver usually drinks over 15 bottles of water (Hussain et al.). The most significant problem that exacerbates the adverse effects of increased heat is the lack of air conditioning for outdoor workers. Based on the Chicago’s Harris School of Public Policy assistant professor, Amir Jina, heat waves and temperature increases are more common today than in the past (Hussain et al.). Individuals in high-paying jobs might not experience this problem since they work in air-conditioned offices. However, low-income jobs, such as delivery drivers and warehouse workers, should be provided with shades and freshwater to drink to alleviate some adverse effects encountered while working in extreme heat. Such people working outside might find it challenging to fully concentrate on their activities since they have to take cool-down breaks. When the heat is above average, the body cannot function optimally. High temperatures in the workplace have adverse effects on individuals’ physical work capacity (Smallcombe et al.). Jina made it clear that although many individuals might not have internalized it when the workforce is not healthy, it cannot be productive (Hussain et al.). As such, many businesses in California, especially those relying on the input of outdoor workers, will likely decrease their productivity if they are not going to make their workplaces conducive for their employees.
Table 1
Lost Working Hours Due to Increased Heat in Central America in 1995 and Projections of 2030
(Source: /wcmsp5/groups/public/---dgreports/---dcomm/---publ/documents/publication/wcms_711919.pdf)
In the United States of America (USA), extreme heat adversely affects workers’ productivity due to reduced working hours. Table 1 shows various industries that are affected by increased heat, including agriculture, industry, construction, and other services. Notably, in 1995, the agriculture sector in Central America had 1.48%, while the projected 2030 percentage in the same industry is 2.5%. In 1995, the total thousand full-time jobs affected by heat were 271.6, while the figure is estimated to increase to 799.8 by 2030 (International Labor Organization 45). In other words, working under extreme heat is becoming a significant issue in the USA, California involved, for outdoor workers. In that light, the number of lost working hours is likely to increase, which is a condition that might deteriorate if proper prevention measures are not considered. For example, if outdoor employees are not provided with fresh drinking water, shades, training to avoid and manage heat illnesses, and cool-down breaks, it would become unbearable for them to focus on their daily activities. Some of them might become sick and unable to work, making it worse as the affected firms will decrease their productivity.
There are currently very few options available for dealing with the issue of how to keep up with the protection of outdoor workers. There are essentially three primary solutions available. They include increasing the attentiveness of workers who are outside, expanding existing facilities to protect outdoor workers from extreme heat, and enforcing restrictions through legislative action. Before discussing any further possibilities for protecting the well-being of outdoor workers, it is important to underline the risks that warmer weather poses to people who work outside. Many people, particularly those who work outside are under the impression that the temperature at their workplace has simply increased. Licker et al.’s report, which is about the impact of future extreme heat on outdoor workers highlights that outdoor workers are some of the most susceptible to heat-related illness, which is a condition in which the body is unable to thermoregulate heat stress effectively, leading to an increase in the core body temperature. The study further shows that climate change will contribute to increased heat such that it might be too hot for outdoor workers to engage in their daily operations (Licker et al. 1). This demonstrates that not only has the working environment gotten more brutal, but also if they continue to work in such an environment for an extended period, it will also cause major sequelae to their bodies.
As a result, the California government has implemented equivalent precautions in order to forestall the occurrence of such an event to the greatest extent possible. “California requires employers to provide heat prevention training and enough water for an employee to drink as much as a quart an hour” (Lightman). The state government of California is encouraging those who work outside to drink more water in an effort to reduce the risk of injury. However, drinking additional water can only restore some of the water lost by the body, but it will not help to alleviate all heat-related health issues. For this reason, this remedy is good to ensure that outdoor workers remain hydrated. In addition, work was the primary driver of the chronic kidney disease of nontraditional origin (CKDnt) epidemic in Mesoamerica with occupational heat stress being the single uniting factor shown to lead to kidney dysfunction in affected populations (Wesseling et al. 2). On the other hand, working in conditions that are excessively hot for extended periods is linked to the development of a greater number of ailments than the lack of water. More water is obviously not going to be enough, and what's needed are measures that are both more immediate and effective in order to protect workers who are outside.
Figure 2
Common Heat-Related Illnesses and Solutions
(Source: /disasters/extremeheat/warning.html)
Based on Figure 2, common heat illnesses include heat stroke, heat exhaustion, heat cramps, sunburn, and heat rash. As discussed above, Californians working outdoors should be trained to facilitate their health and safety as they continue to offer services. Effective training of outside workers can help them to prevent heat-related diseases. The OSHA regulation requires all employers to en...