Altinsoy et al (1) |
2015 |
Turkey |
Working population |
WBGT |
Simulation based on climate driven model |
Between 2071 and 2100, deficiency in labour productivity may reach up to 52 % during the summer across so Central Anatolia, Cyprus, and parts of the Aegean and eastern Mediterranean coastal areas, particularly in agriculture and construction. |
Bodin et al (2) |
2016 |
El Salvador |
Agriculture |
WBGT |
Physiological parameters monitoring |
WBGT was >26°C from 9:00 (average max.: 29.3±1.7°C). There was a reduction of HR symptoms and dehydration before and after the intervention. Individual daily production increased from 5.1 to a high of 7.3 tons/person/day. |
Delgado_Cortez (3) |
2009 |
Nicaragua |
Agriculture |
WBGT |
Physiological parameters monitoring and productivity |
Output production increased significantly (p=0.005) among those best hydrated, from 5.5 to 8 tons of cut sugarcane per worker per day. |
Dell et al (4) |
2014 |
Global |
Working population |
Not specified |
Narrative review |
Many of the papers discussed seek to address the impact of "harvesting". Temperatures can also affect income through labour productivity, which can in turn affect health. |
Esteban et al (5) |
2009 |
Taiwan |
Working population |
Not specified |
Simulation based on climate driven model |
Annual downtime from tropical cyclones could increase from 1.5% nowadays to up to 2.2% by 2085, an increase of almost 50%. This decrease in productivity could result in a loss of up to 0.7% of the annual Taiwanese GDP by 2085. |
Gubernot et al (6) |
2014 |
USA |
Working population |
Not specified |
Scoping review |
Around 40% of HRI cases occur among workers. The length of service appears inversely related to the occurrence of HRI. Working in direct sunshine can add up to 15°F to the perceived temperature. Increased heat decreases workers’ productivity. |
Hanna et al (7) |
2011 |
Australia |
Working population |
Ambient temperature |
Narrative review |
Workers carried out on average 1 hour less work per day when temperatures exceeded 37°C (compared with days <30°C), as workers self-paced to maintain thermal comfort. Heat-related health risks increase when work is "externally paced". |
Heal et al (8) |
2016 |
Global |
Working population |
Not specified |
Systematic review |
A day with temperatures exceeding 32°C can increase local monthly mortality rates by more than 1% and reduces daily labour supply in exposed sectors by up to 14%. |
Kenefick et al (9) |
2007 |
USA |
Working population |
Ambient temperature |
Narrative review |
A study showed that when subjects were dehydrated, productivity of stacking and debarking pulpwood was reduced by 12%. Decision-making and cognitive performance are also adversely influenced by dehydration |
Kershaw et al (10) |
2013 |
United Kingdom |
Other |
Different levels of climate change |
Simulation based on climate driven model |
As we move further into the future there is an increase in summertime overheating and hence a decrease in productivity but also a decrease in cold related winter discomfort and an associated increase in productivity. |
Kjellstrom (11) |
2016 |
Global |
Working population |
WBGT |
Simulation based on climate driven model |
In South-East Asia as much as 15% to 20% of annual work hours may already be lost in heat-exposed jobs, and this may double by 2050. The annual cost of reduced labour productivity at country level already in 2030 can be several percent of GDP. |
Kjellstrom et al (12) |
2009 |
Global, with a special focus on LMIC |
Working population |
WBGT |
Narrative review |
The resulting work capacity during different hours for a person who works at a heavy work intensity of 500 W is very low: on average only 20% of work capacity remains at 12 noon. |
Kjellstrom et al (13) |
2009 |
Global |
Working population |
WBGT |
Simulation based on climate driven model |
In terms of absolute change in labour productivity by the 2080s, the greatest losses (11.4% to 26.9%) are seen under A2 in Southeast Asia, Andean and Central America, Eastern Sub-Saharan Africa, and the Caribbean. |
Kjellstrom et al (14) |
2011 |
Global, with a special focus on Central America |
Working population |
WBGT |
Narrative review |
24% of HR deaths in the USA were in the Ag/For/Fis/ Hun sector and of these 67% were in workers employed in crop production. Above 26°C, the increasing need for rest periods can be approximated by straight lines that differ depending on the work intensity |
Kjellstrom et al (15) |
2013 |
South-East Asia |
Working population |
WBGT |
Simulation based on climate driven model |
Heavy work in the shade is now affected in the hottest areas so that 50-60% of afternoon work time is lost due to heat. Heavy work in the sun has losses up to 80% and above, and even moderate work is affected: >50% of afternoon work time is lost. |
Kjellstrom et al (16) |
2016 |
Global |
Working population |
WBGT |
Narrative review |
Reduced work capacity, labour productivity, and economic loss, as well as heat impact on gross domestic product were reported in India, USA and South Africa. When hourly WBGT exceeds 26◦C, work capacity is reduced in heavy-labour jobs, and above 32◦C (90◦F) any work activity is made difficult. GDP losses will be greater than 20% by 2100. |
Langkulsen et al (17) |
2010 |
Thailand |
Agriculture - Construction |
WBGT |
Cross-sectional |
Productivity as perceived by the workers revealed that for more than half (60%) the workers, productivity loss varied from 10 to 66.7%, whereas vegetable field workers displayed no loss of productivity. |
Lao et al (18) |
2016 |
Australia |
Working population |
Not specified |
Cross-sectional |
Common heat-related symptoms including headaches, sweating, dizziness, and tiredness. Most workers highlighted that heat impedes their work efficiency and causes a substantial slowing of work rate. |
Li et al (19) |
2016 |
China |
Construction |
WBGT |
Within-group comparison |
Direct work time decreased by 0.57% and idle time increased by 0.74% when the WBGT increased by 1 °C; direct work time increased by 0.33% when the workers' experience increased by 1 year and decreased by 0.72% when the workers' age increased by 1 year. |
Lundgren et al (20) |
2013 |
Global |
Working population |
Not specified |
Narrative review |
The years 1995-2006 have rank among the warmest. Effects of increasing temperatures include a high prevalence of CKD, in Central America, especially among sugarcane workers, and a global reduction of work productivity. |
Lundgren et al (21) |
2014 |
India |
Working population |
WBGT |
Within-group comparison |
Avg WBGT was 29.7. Significant impacts on productivity in all workplaces, apart from the laundry facility, were shown, e.g. in the canteen, the core temperature limit of 38°C predicted by the model was reached in only 64 min for women. |
Marchetti et al (22) |
2016 |
World |
Working population |
Not specified |
Narrative review |
Productivity is affected after 1 hour of moderate physical work above 32 °C. In SE Asia up to 20% of annual work hours may already be lost in heat-exposed jobs. By 2080, the greatest losses are foreseen in SE Asia, Central America, Sub-Saharan Africa. |
Mathee et al (23) |
2010 |
South Africa |
Outdoor workers |
Ambient tremparture |
Cross-sectional |
Hourly max. temp. ranged from 23-36°C in Upington and 21-27°C in Johannesburg. Heat-related effects reported included sunburn, sleeplessness, irritability, and exhaustion leading to difficulty in maintaining work levels and output during very hot weather. |
Mirabelli et al (24) |
2010 |
USA (North Carolina) |
Agriculture |
Not specified |
Cross-sectional |
Working in extreme heat was reported by 281 respondents (94%), among whom 112 (40%) reported symptoms of heat illness. 37% reported changes in their work hours and 34% in their work activities. |
Oyekale (25) |
2015 |
Nigeria |
Agriculture |
Not specified |
Cross-sectional |
Missing regular times scheduled for spraying cocoa pods (45.7% in Ondo state) was one of the forms of reported climate change induced occupational stresses |
Patz et al (26) |
2014 |
Global |
General population, including working population |
Not specified |
Systematic review |
Heat stress has reduced labour capacity by 10% in summer’s peak over the past few decades. Projected reduction may double by 2050. |
Pradhan et al (27) |
2013 |
Nepal |
Manufacturing industry |
Heat index, humidity index, and WBGT, based on the HOTHAPS approach |
Cross-sectional |
The average temperature in the summer reached to over 39°C: the environmental conditions were inadequate for workers to work continuously during the day. HRI included fainting, mental irritation, laziness, sleepless nights, dehydration and giddiness. |
Sahu et al (28) |
2013 |
India |
Agriculture |
WBGT |
Cross-sectional |
At WBGT>26°C the hourly N of rice bundles collected was reduced approximately 5% per °C of increased WBGT. |
Sett et al (29) |
2014 |
India |
Manufacturing industry |
WBGT |
Cross-sectional |
There is a linear decline in productivity with an increase in maximum air temperature above 34.9°C, and the lost productivity for every degree rise in temperature is about 2%. |
Singh et al (30) |
2015 |
Australia |
Working population |
Not specified |
Cross-sectional |
Productivity is significantly reduced at 35°C, and approximately one-third of baseline work productivity can be lost in certain physically demanding jobs when working at 40°C. |
Suzuki-Parker et al (31) |
2016 |
Japan |
Working population |
WBGT |
Simulation based on climate driven model |
"Light labour safe" hours are projected to decrease by 30-40 % by the end of the 21st century. The number of "heavy labour restricted days" is projected to increase from~5 days in the 2000s to nearly 2/3 of the days in August in the 2090s. |
Venugopal et al (32) |
2015 |
India |
Working population |
WBGT |
Cross-sectional |
Workers with heavy workloads reported more heat-related health issues (chi square = 23.67, p ≤ 0.001) and reduced productivity (chi square =15.82, p ≤ 0.001), especially outdoor workers. Of the workers’ assessed in both hotter and cooler seasons, 65% vs. 32% were exposed to higher than recommended WBGT levels in hotter and cooler seasons respectively. This corresponded to a significant increase in self-reported productivity losses (p ¤ 0.016). |
Xiang et al (33) |
2014 |
Global |
Working population |
WGBT, heat stress and air temperature |
Systematic review |
Manual workers be at risk of heat stress, especially those in LMIC. 79% of identified studies indicated that participants were suffering from heat strain, with outdoor workplaces (90%) being much higher than indoor workplaces (65%). |
Zander et al (34) |
2015 |
Australia |
Working population |
Not specified |
Cross-sectional |
70% said heat made them less productive on at least 1 day in the previous year: on average, they were 35% less productive on days on which they had suffered from heat, were less productive on 10 days, and worked for 27.1 h less. |
Zhao et al (35) |
2016 |
China |
Outdoor workers |
Daily Tmax |
Simulation based on climate driven model |
The total HTS is estimated at 38.6 billion yuan/y over the 1979-2005 period (0.2% of GDP), the share of GDP devoted to HTS could become as high as 3% at the end of 21st century. |
Zivin et al (36) |
2014 |
USA |
Working population |
Historical and forecasted temperature distribution-daily maximum and minimum temperature, precipitation, snowfall, and relative humidity. |
Econometric model |
At daily max. temp. >85°F, workers in industries with high exposure to climate reduce daily time allocated to labour by as much as 1 h. Almost all of the decrease in time allocated to labour happens at the end of the day. |