Effects of heat on workers' health and productivity in Taiwan.
Effects of heat on workers' health and productivity in Taiwan.
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DOI：
10.3402/gha.v2i0.2024
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发表时间：
2009-11-11
影响因子：
2.6
通讯作者：
Chan CC
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Lin RT;Chan CC
全球变暖对人口健康的影响日益受到关注，并已得到广泛讨论。热应激障碍和随之而来的工人生产力下降的问题尚未得到广泛解决。台湾是一个横跨西太平洋北回归线的岛屿，有亚热带和热带气候。根据国际货币基金组织的数据，截至2008年，台湾经济占世界国内生产总值的1.1%，按购买力平价计算，在世界排名第19位，在亚洲排名第8位。本研究的目的是找出危险职业及高温对台湾工人健康的潜在影响。有关气象、人口、劳动力和经济的历史数据来自台湾政府的公开数据库。平均最高温度超过30°C，相对湿度超过74%的炎热季节，从5月到10月持续4到6个月，对建筑，农业和渔业工人构成健康威胁。特别是，老年农民和体力超负荷的建筑工人是两个最脆弱的工人类别，高温对他们的健康和生产力产生影响。目前，由于几个原因，很难执行有关散热的法规和预防行动，包括缺乏测量环境条件的设备，缺乏对潜在危险的认识以及对工人施加严格的时间限制。因此，有必要系统、全面地评估气候变暖对工人健康和生产力的影响，以提供有效的预防策略，改善台湾的工作和生活环境。
The impact of global warming on population health is a growing concern and has been widely discussed. The issue of heat stress disorders and consequent productivity reduction among workers has not yet been widely addressed. Taiwan is an island straddling the Tropic of Cancer in the West Pacific and has both subtropical and tropical climates. As of 2008, the economy of Taiwan accounts for 1.1% of the world gross domestic product at purchasing power parity and is listed as 19th in the world and eighth in Asia, according to International Monetary Fund data. The aim of this paper is to identify occupations at risk and the potential health impacts of heat on workers in Taiwan. Historical data relating to meteorology, population, the labour force and economy were obtained from publicly available databases from the Taiwanese government. Hot seasons with an average maximum temperature above 30°C and relative humidity above 74%, lasting for four to six months from May to October, pose health threats to construction, farming and fishery workers. In particular, populations of ageing farmers and physically overloaded construction workers are the two most vulnerable worker categories in which high temperature impacts on health and productivity. Currently, regulations and preventive actions for heat relief are difficult to enforce for several reasons, including lack of equipment for measuring environmental conditions, lack of awareness of potential hazards and strict time constraints imposed on workers. There is an urgent need to systematically and comprehensively assess the impact of a warming climate on workers’ health and productivity to provide effective prevention strategies for a better working and living environment in Taiwan.