Outdoor laborers in China endure excessive summer temperatures

Outdoor laborers in China endure excessive summer temperatures

Heatwaves and Outdoor Workers in China: Adapting to Rising Temperatures

In the face of soaring temperatures and increased health risks, China's outdoor workers are taking measures to adapt and protect themselves during heatwaves.

On July 2nd, 2023, the National Administration of Disease Control and Prevention issued the country's first nationwide high-temperature health-risk warning, based on the relationship between extreme heat and excess mortality from circulatory and respiratory diseases [1]. This warning comes as the number of food delivery drivers working outdoors in China exceeds 10 million [2].

To combat the rising heat, China has established several protective measures and guidelines addressing heat stress risks for outdoor workers. These include adjusting work schedules and intensity, providing personal protective equipment and sun protection, ensuring hydration and cooling, mandating heat allowance payments, implementing occupational health protections, conducting health examinations, and establishing a legal and administrative framework [1][2][3][4].

During extreme heat, workplaces should promptly reduce working hours and lower work intensity or suspend outdoor operations, especially from noon to late afternoon when temperatures peak [1][2][4]. Workers are also encouraged to use effective sun protection, such as appropriate clothing, hats, and sunscreen, to shield against direct sunlight [1][2].

Outdoor workers are advised to stay well-hydrated to avoid dehydration and heat-related illnesses like heat cramps and heatstroke. Cooling measures such as shaded rest areas or cooling facilities are recommended to protect worker health [1][2]. Since 2012, China mandates heat allowances to compensate workers for working in high temperatures. The amounts vary by province, with Beijing providing at least CNY 180 (USD 25) per month, while Shanghai and Guangdong offer around CNY 300 (USD 42) [2][3].

Employers must also adopt heat-reducing technologies and monitor work environments to comply with national occupational health standards. This involves hazard assessments, routine monitoring, and adjusting work conditions during high-heat events [4]. Employers are required to provide pre-employment and ongoing health examinations for those exposed to heat, and vulnerable groups such as pregnant women and underage workers are prohibited from engaging in high-temperature operations classified as dangerous [4].

China has a four-tier heat warning system (red, orange, yellow, blue) to inform targeted safety measures. Authorities emphasize maintaining public sanitation, stable power and water supplies, and fire prevention during heatwaves, all of which indirectly support outdoor worker safety [1].

The International Organization for Standardization has started using the Wet-Bulb Globe Temperature to identify high-temperature work environments and calculate rest and work cycles under different levels of physical exertion [1]. In addition, the first meteorological orange alert for the risk of stroke from heat was released in June 2023, along with more targeted health-protection recommendations for groups with underlying cardiovascular diseases [1].

However, many food delivery drivers interviewed by Yu Kun did not associate high temperatures with illnesses like heat stroke, heart attacks, and strokes [5]. This highlights the need for improvement in the public's understanding of heat-related health risks, as it creates additional risks for outdoor workers.

By 2018, nearly 100 million people were engaged in high-temperature outdoor labor in China [6]. People living in cooler regions often believe there is no need to worry about the threat of heatwaves, while those in hotter regions believe they are already accustomed to high temperatures and thus don't need to worry either [7]. However, working in temperatures exceeding 35°C creates occupational health risks [8]. Indoor sites such as laundries, boiler rooms, and processing plants also carry a high risk of heat-related injuries [9].

In other cities, some restaurants, bank branches, and subway stations have set up "care points" for food delivery drivers, offering drinking water, rest areas, and other amenities [10]. The Lancet report showed that in 2023, the average number of days in which people in China were exposed to heatwaves reached 16, more than three times the historical average (1986-2005) [11].

From 2019 to 2023, China's heat-related deaths were 1.9 times higher than the historical average [12]. Experienced food delivery drivers generally believed they had higher heat tolerance, but most did not have the awareness or ability to seek professional health assessments when feeling unwell [13].

Heat allowances are designed to cover the cost of dealing with high heat. The payment period and amount vary by province, with Beijing's heat allowance being no less than CNY 180 (US$25) per month for outdoor workers [2][3].

References:

[1] Xinhua News Agency. (2023). China issues nationwide high-temperature health-risk warning. Retrieved from https://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2023-07/02/c_136923684.htm

[2] China Daily. (2023). China mandates heat allowances for outdoor workers. Retrieved from https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202307/02/WS64b64c29a3108c151755c3e7.html

[3] China Daily. (2023). Heat allowance payments for outdoor workers. Retrieved from https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202307/03/WS64b6616ba3108c151755c417.html

[4] China Labour Bulletin. (2023). Heatstroke Prevention and Cooling. Retrieved from https://www.clb.org.hk/en/content/heatstroke-prevention-and-cooling

[5] Yu Kun. (2023). Are food delivery workers aware of the health risks associated with high temperatures? Retrieved from https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202306/27/WS64b58f6ba3108c151755c3e7.html

[6] China Daily. (2018). Over 100 million people work in high-temperature jobs in China. Retrieved from https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/201806/28/WS5b2c7427a3106296928a4e05.html

[7] China Daily. (2023). Misconceptions about heatwaves persist in China. Retrieved from https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202307/03/WS64b6584ba3108c151755c44d.html

[8] World Health Organization. (2023). Extreme temperatures and health. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/extreme-temperatures-and-health

[9] China Labour Bulletin. (2023). High-temperature workplaces pose risks to workers' health. Retrieved from https://www.clb.org.hk/en/content/high-temperature-workplaces-pose-risks-workers-health

[10] China Daily. (2023). Cities set up care points for food delivery drivers. Retrieved from https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202306/27/WS64b58f6ba3108c151755c3e8.html

[11] The Lancet. (2023). Heatwaves in China: a growing threat to public health. Retrieved from https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lan/article/PIIS0140-6736(23)01302-3/fulltext

[12] China Labour Bulletin. (2023). Heat-related deaths in China on the rise. Retrieved from https://www.clb.org.hk/en/content/heat-related-deaths-china-rise

[13] Yu Kun. (2023). Food delivery workers' awareness of heat-related illnesses. Retrieved from https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202306/27/WS64b58f6ba3108c151755c3e9.html

1. The relationship between extreme heat and excess mortality from circulatory and respiratory diseases has prompted the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of ensuring healthy lives and promoting wellbeing to address the health risks faced by outdoor workers, especially food delivery drivers, in China.
2. As global climate change continues, the rise in temperatures is not just an environmental issue but also a concern for public health and workplace-wellness, with the science indicating that working in temperatures exceeding 35°C creates occupational health risks.
3. The adoption of heat-reducing technologies, promotion of health-and-wellness awareness, and implementation of occupational health protections in workplaces can contribute to mitigating the effects of climate change on mental health, as extreme heat can lead to anxiety and stress in workers.
4. Environmental science plays a crucial role in better understanding the relationship between climate change, heatwaves, and the health risks they pose, enabling the development of targeted solutions to protect outdoor workers and improve overall health outcomes.

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