title: Worker health and safety and climate change in the Americas: issues and research needs.
abstract: SYNOPSIS This report summarizes and discusses current knowledge on the impact that climate change can have on occupational safety and health (OSH), with a particular focus on the Americas. Worker safety and health issues are presented on topics related to specific stressors (e.g., temperature extremes), climate associated impacts (e.g., ice melt in the Arctic), and a health condition associated with climate change (chronic kidney disease of non-traditional etiology). The article discusses research needs, including hazards, surveillance, and risk assessment activities to better characterize and understand how OSH may be associated with climate change events. Also discussed are the actions that OSH professionals can take to ensure worker health and safety in the face of climate change.
authors.affiliation: United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Western States Division, United States of America.
authors.forename: Max
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kiefer
authors.affiliation: Pan American Health Organization, Washington, DC, United States.
authors.forename: Julietta
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rodríguez-Guzmán
authors.affiliation: United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Western States Division, United States of America.
authors.forename: Joanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Watson
authors.affiliation: Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances, Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica.
authors.forename: Berna
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: van Wendel de Joode
authors.affiliation: Center for Interdisciplinary Research on Health, Well-being, Environment and Society, University of Quebec at Montreal, Montreal, Canada.
authors.forename: Donna
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mergler
authors.affiliation: Pan American Health Organization, Washington, DC, United States.
authors.forename: Agnes Soares
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: da Silva
mesh_terms: D000569:Americas; D001110:Arctic Regions; D057231:Climate Change; D055874:Extreme Heat; D006801:Humans; D046448:Ice Cover; D016272:Occupational Health; D018570:Risk Assessment