EHS Management

Looking for a Change in the Weather: Global Climate Change, Extreme Weather, and Worker Safety and Health

Yesterday we looked at the specifics of how global climate change and increasing ambient temperatures are expected to affect worker safety and health. But heat is not the only occupational health concern arising from global climate change; the Earth’s changing climate is also changing severe weather patterns around the world.

As a result of climate change, the world is likely to see increases in extreme weather—storms, including hurricanes and cyclones, will increase in frequency and severity, with an associated increase in floods, landslides, tornadoes, and lightning strikes. More frequent, longer-lasting droughts will lead to an increase in wildfires and a longer wildfire season. More of these conditions means more workers employed in fields that respond to them—more wildland firefighters, more rescue and recovery workers—and greater exposure to the hazards of severe weather overall. Here’s what to expect and how to plan for worker safety.

Occupational Hazards to Anticipate

More than 300 workers died as a result of natural disasters between 1992 and 2006; the way that they died differs by the type of work they were doing.

Wildland firefighters. Eighty workers died in wildfires during the study period; fully 80 percent of those deaths occurred while the workers were trying to put out or divert the fires. The longer wildfire season with more wildfires can increase the risk to wildland firefighters and support personnel by:

  • Increasing their exposure to hazardous smoke.
  • Decreasing their recovery time between fire seasons
  • Increasing their exposure to carcinogenic naturally occurring mineral fibers (asbestos and erionite) during train and forest road maintenance, timber stand grading, and firefighting activities such as cutting fire lines.

Increased demand is likely to lead to greater numbers of wildland firefighters; proper training, equipment, supervision, and management will be essential to insuring their safety.

Hurricanes. Seventy-two worker deaths were attributable to hurricanes during the study period. Those workers were most likely to die during cleanup and recovery activities. If your workers will be doing hurricane cleanup or recovery, make sure that they are briefed on the specific hazards of that work.

Flooding. Sixty-two workers died in flooding incidents; 45 percent of them died while riding in or operating motor vehicles. If the possibility of flooding exists in your area, and especially if your workers might be expected to operate motor vehicles during flood conditions (for example, as public utility workers), make sure that they are aware of the hazards of driving into floodwaters.

Lightning strikes. As a result of global climate change, lightning is predicted to occur with as much as 50 percent greater frequency and at greater temperatures, over the course of the twenty-first century when compared with the twentieth. Fifteen percent of lightning deaths are work-related. All outdoor workers should be aware of the hazards of lightning, and they should know to take cover inside a sturdy building with permanently installed utilities (plumbing and electricity) until they can no longer hear thunder.

Critical personnel in specific industries. In addition to the risks inherent in specific types of weather-related situations, there are risks to workers who are on duty during weather emergencies. These workers include healthcare personnel; first responders and emergency personnel; critical personnel at nuclear reactors and other facilities that cannot simply be shut down and evacuated; and power crews and others who are among the first disaster-recovery personnel into an area. These workers may find themselves working extended shifts until they can be relieved, causing fatigue and increasing the possibility of job-related errors. If your work force needs to continue operating during a weather emergency, make sure that you have plans in place that address staffing, supplies, and safety for as long as the emergency could last.

Need more details on disaster planning? Safety.BLR.com® can help you to be prepared.

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1 thought on “Looking for a Change in the Weather: Global Climate Change, Extreme Weather, and Worker Safety and Health”

  1. I thought I would be spared on the non-sense of anthropogenic global warning in my profession but apparently not. There has been study after study that extreme storms, hurricane, floods and drought have not increased due to the warning however you published this article. This would be similar to me as a safety rep telling my manager to prepare or implement controls for something that something may happen in the future but there is no evidence that is happening. I give you one reference because I have to work for a living but I’m tired of this agenda.

    Dr. Roger Pielke Jr., is a Professor in the Environmental Studies Program at the University of Colorado and a Fellow of the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES. He has denied the linkage of global warming to the recent Louisiana floods this summer and other types of extreme weather. In fact his 2014 book “The Rightful Place of Science: Disasters and Climate Change.” has shown that flood disasters are down as with extreme weather as a whole. In fact, there was improvement and stabilization as with lower hurricane landfalls and a decrease in tornadic activities.

    So when I read this article about prepping for something being predicted by an agenda and not science then I start doubting the source. If this keeps up, I will not use EHS advisor as source in my daily job.

    Thanks
    John

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