Hot Stuff

Almost 40% of heat-related deaths around the globe can be linked to the climate crisis. The most recent focus has naturally been on the effects of record temperatures on people in the USA and Canada. Workers in other parts of the world have, however, long experience of risking their health by working for extended periods under hot conditions (https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2021/jul/14/deadly-heat-how-rising-temperatures-threaten-workers-from-nicaragua-to-nepal). Urban garment factories in South-East Asia are literally 'sweat shops'. Hundreds of mainly Nepalese workers have been dying in Qatar each year, as they work to complete the infrastructure for the next (Soccer) World Cup. It seems likely that the high incidence of kidney failure in sugarcane cutters in Nicaragua is linked to their working conditions. Interestingly, the simple Adelante Initiative may help. The initiative involves scheduled breaks for drinking water, resting and sitting in the shade. This seems to markedly reduce the incidence of kidney failure in sugarcane cutters. Programming periods for rehydration, resting and cooling is likely to be increasingly necessary, in order to protect the health of indoor and outside workers over much of the globe. Forcing people to labour without breaks, actually reduces the viability of a work force.