Climate change, occupational health and workplace productivity.

Climate change will increase the average global temperature, but there will be substantial variation in local regions. A variety of potential health impacts have been identified. One issue of emerging concern is high heat exposure in workplaces, both indoors and outdoors. This is already a major problem for people with physically demanding work in places with very hot seasons each year. Heat stress creates physiological change, clinical health effects and lowered work capacity, which for some people reduces their hourly productivity and income. The economic consequences for some agricultural and industrial sectors may be substantial, including the costs of heat reduction interventions.