How Extreme Heat in California Affect the Outdoor Workers

Name
Professor
Writing 60
October 25, 2022
How is extreme heat in California effect the outdoor workers
Due to extreme environmental heat exposure, there is a looming threat of a decline in human labor or physical work capacity (PWC) in many industrial sectors globally. According to Smallcombe and colleagues, high workplace temperatures adversely affect PWC due to the severity of heat stress and prolonged exposure duration (Smallcombe et al). Specific groups of these workers that are adversely affected include healthcare workers, emergency first responders, utility workers, manufacturing workers, farmers, and transportation workers. The International Labor Organization (ILO) defines heat stress as the form of heat received more than what the body can accommodate without impairments to physiological functions (ILO). Southern California witnessed triple-digit heat during the wake of September 2022 and the heat stress in the region largely affects those laboring outdoors, in warehouses, or in areas lacking air conditioning (Hussain). These findings from the California study reflect the debilitating situations in informal sectors where the welfare of workers has been ignored. While heat stress is known to affect outdoor workers, especially those involved in construction sites and agricultural production, a UCLA study shows that the risk of accidents increases during hot weather, regardless of whether workers are indoors or in an outdoor environment (UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation). This is a global concern since it reflects how climate change is disproportionately affecting minorities and increasing the threat to essential workers (Vega). In particular, those working in outside settings are typically from low-income households that have to survive working in such conditions to provide for their families and themselves. This paper examines how California’s climate change has led to adverse effects on low-income communities, who spend prolonged periods outdoors for their occupation.
Outdoor laborers in the state of California have been severely impacted by the recent heat wave in their workplaces and family lives. The low-income earners, many of whose jobs require them to spend extended amounts of time outside, have suffered serious health impacts caused by the negative consequences of climate change. According to the interviews that Suhauna Hussain conducted with construction workers, one of the employees named Zamudio remarked that he often made mistakes when it turned too hot at his workplace and longed for breaks in between thus losing work hours (Hussain). Because of the intense heat, their work environment is made more difficult for them, and this makes them more likely to make mistakes while they are working. A report that was published by the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation states that the risk of injury for workers is reduced by 6% more than usual when temperatures are above 90 degrees Fahrenheit, and the risk of injury increases to 10% to 15% when the temperature is above 100 degrees F as shown in Fig 1 below. When the temperature exceeds 100 degrees F., the risk of injury increases from 10% to 15%. (Chang & Uteuova). People's bodies will become exhausted, and other elements of their lives will be impacted, in the near term, if they are forced to remain in a hot atmosphere for a lengthy amount of time (Dunseith). In the long term, the body will inadvertently acquire some sequelae, which are difficult to notice immediately but are too late to be discovered. In other words, the body will accumulate these sequelae after it is too late to address them. Not only that, but it also had a negative influence on his personal life and relationships. Because of the strenuous labor that Zamudio does at his job, by the time he gets home, his body is in a state of extreme lethargy, and he lacks the energy to spend time with his family.
Fig 1 Impact of rising temperature increase and workplace injuries. From the graph, there are observed increase in injury risks as workdays get increasingly hot but the risks decline on cooler days (Chang & Uteuova)
Apart from the impacts on personal life and workplaces, laborers experience a series of sequelae from working for an extended period without interruption at temperatures that are not ideal. These after-effects or sequelae due to prior exposure to extended heat have both serious health impacts (NRDC.org np). Being exposed to high temperatures for an extended period increases the risk of illness and damage. Several dangers that can lead to sequela can be incurred when one works in a hot environment for an extended period and does not receive an adequate amount of critical nutrients. One of the most prevalent symptoms is a condition called heatstroke (Licker et al). It is characterized by copious perspiration and a fast pulse, both of which are indicators that the body is overheating. Three different syndromes are caused by heat, with heat cramps being the least severe and heatstroke being the most severe (Barthwal et al 44746). According to the information provided in the article that was penned by Hussain, around one thousand people who worked outside in the United States passed away due to heatstroke. Heat stress poses significant health risks to workers exposed to extreme heat conditions, those who work in hot environments for extended periods, and individuals engaged in strenuous physical activity. Extreme heat stress results in heat stroke, rhabdomyolysis or muscle tissue breakdown, heat exhaustion, and death. The International Labor Organization (ILO) has also recognized the impact of heat stress on the loss of working hours with countries such as Indonesia and India being the most affected as shown in Fig 2 (ILO). Workplace exposure to severe heat has also been linked to an increased risk of traumatic injury in certain circumstances (CDC). Compared to the general public, workers are exposed to undesirable climatic and weather conditions. Day laborers and migrant workers with housing challenges or other economic and social constraints are faced with adverse health impacts due to exposure to climate-related challenges in the workplace (CDC). Persons from low-income households are likely to find employment opportunities in outdoor jobs compared to those from high-income backgrounds, and therefore, occupational health risks tend to increase among this cluster of population.
Fig 2 Percentages of work hours lost due to heat stress per country between 1995 and 2030 projecti...