Climate change and heat vulnerabilities of Canadian workers
This project examined the relationship between summer weather and the health of workers in five Canadian provinces. It has generated new knowledge that can guide decision-makers and prevention stakeholders.
Project details
Principal(s) investigator(s)
Context
Global warming could have particularly severe impacts on Canada. It is estimated that temperatures in Canada increased at roughly twice the global mean rate over the 1948–2016 period, with a mean annual increase of 1.7°C compared to a global increase of 0.8°C. Periods of extreme heat have become more frequent and more intense in most provinces. Without appropriate preventive actions, these changes could lead to an increase in mortality and morbidity rates, affecting, among others, urban populations and the elderly as well as disadvantaged individuals and those with cardiovascular or respiratory diseases. The relationship between mortality and heat waves or high ambient temperatures is well documented. In Quebec, higher rates of ambulance transport, emergency room admissions and deaths have been reported during regional extreme heat waves than during comparison periods.
Objective(s)
Although the effects of extreme heat on the health of the general population have been documented, knowledge on heat-induced mortality and morbidity among workers is limited. This study aims to address these knowledge gaps. Drawing on workers’ compensation data from five provinces in Central and Western Canada (Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta) as well as meteorological data, this study aims to:
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Quantify the relationship between summer outdoor temperatures and the daily number of individuals compensated for heat illnesses (e.g. edema, syncope, exhaustion, sunstroke/heatstroke) and traumatic injuries (e.g. fractures, cuts, burns) between 2001 and 2016 in each province;
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Verify whether the effect of temperature on occupational morbidity is more significant for certain groups—classified by sex, age and whether workers are employed in an industry that operates primarily outdoors—in order to identify groups at higher risk for traumatic injuries and heat illness;
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Estimate the number of accepted claims for heat illness (e.g. edema, syncope, exhaustion, sunstroke/heatstroke) that would arise between now and 2050, given the projected climate warming.
Scientific publications
Funding
Other participants
Commission des normes, de l'équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail
Workplace Safety and Insurance Board
Workers Compensation Board of Manitoba
Saskatchewan Workers’ Compensation Board
Workers’ Compensation Board of Alberta
