The only Safety Professionals' Continuous Professional Development eMagazine in this region.

ISSUE 15 | JULY 2023

So check out this edition for

tips and solutions in dealing
with the heat stress

Feeling the heat 18

SAFETEA FIRST
Heat Stress 21
How Heat Affects and
Dry Your Eyes 34
Working Indoors 48
TABLE OF CONTENTS

18 42
MAR K ET PL AC E
HEAT STRESS MEWP SAFETY
Feeling the heat Crush Protection on MEWPs

21 46
SAFETEA FIRST WORKPLACE SAFETY
Heat Stress Tips & Myths Around Dogs

48
HEAT STRESS HEAT STRESS
SOL-X Heat Stress Detection
Solution Combats Hotter
23 Working Indoors
The Only Safety Showcases Over
Climates for Industrial Workers
& Health Solution 2,500 Solutions By
52
WORKING AT HEIGHT

MANAGING RISKS
SPEAREVO
Marketplace in Asia! More than 55 Vendors
ISO 45001: 26
Top 5 Non-Conformities CLIMATE CHANGE
Impact of Climate Change on
Occupational Safety and Health
58
HEARING PROTECTION – An overview
6 FACTS ABOUT NOISE-INDUCED
HEARING LOSS THAT YOU NEED
31
TO KNOW AI SOLUTIONS
Revolutionizing Motorcycle
Safety: How AI is Saving Lives
62
EYE HEALTH and Reducing Costs
How Heat Affects and 34
Dry Your Eyes

INTERVIEW
Asia’s Leaders in the
Occupational Safety and Health
38
Industry: Er. Ho Siong Hin

www.wshasia.com/marketplace
Click on this symbol to access the TOC
 CLIMATE

CLIMATE CHANGE CHANGE

Impact of Climate Change on 2. Material and Methods

2.1 Activities where impacts can be felt
2.2.2 Impact due to extreme weather
Climate change is also creating extreme

Occupational Safety and Health

weather events. As wind patterns, temperature
Outdoor occupations such as construction, and levels of moisture are altered around the
transportation, oil production, landscaping, globe, more frequent and intense weather

– An overview
firefighting and other emergency response events and natural disasters —floods,
operations and hot indoor work environments, landslides, storms, lightning, droughts and
such as steel mills, dry cleaners, manufacturing wildfires—take place. Workers responsible
facilities, commercial kitchens and warehouses, for the rescue and cleanup of these events
by Dr N. Venkataraman are also at risk for climate change impacts, are exposed to conditions that could lead to
including extreme heat exposure and indoor air traumatic injury.
pollutant.
Keywords: Climate change, Hazards, Risk. Climate change5 is expected to produce
2.2 Methods unprecedented shifts in the environment,
2.2.1 Climate change effects ecology, economics, and population health,
1. Introduction patients with asthma admitted to hospitals. and presents new challenges to the protection
incidence and severity of allergies, including There is strong evidence that climate change of workers from on-the-job hazards.
When temperatures rise above the 1.5 deg C asthma and allergic rhinitis, and could impact is and will continue to present risks of work-
threshold recommended by climate scientists, mental health as well. related injury and, illness, so numerous critical 2.2.3 Specific Work-Related Hazards5 of
the risks to health increase. The temperature in research questions need to be resolved Climate Change
Singapore averaged 26.54 Celsius from 1825 Global climate change has the potential to regarding specific hazards, sentinel events,
affect human health in two significant ways: by Typical Occupational Safety and Health hazards
until 2015, reaching an all-time high of 28.88 risk assessment, and preventive actions. The
changing the severity and frequency of health associated with Climate change are:
Celsius in June of 2014. From 1980 to 2020, impact of climate change on workers can be
the annual mean temperature increased from issues already affected by climate factors, minimised by understanding the hazards and � Exposure to extreme heat results in
26.9°C to 28.0°C. Temperatures in Singapore and by creating unprecedented health threats taking timely control measures. occupational illnesses and injuries. Heat
have risen by 0.25oC per decade from 1948 in places where they have not previously stress can result in heat stroke, heat
to 2015, while 2023 at 37oC in 2023 was occurred. Studies show that global warming Fig -1 shows a graphical representation of the exhaustion, heat cramps, or heat rashes.
the hottest year recorded thus far. The mean will likely amplify health and safety issues for a impact of climate change on occupational health. Heat can also increase the risk of injuries in
sea level in the Straits of Singapore has also number of worker populations. Climate change workers as it may result in sweaty palms,
increased at the rate of 1.2mm to 1.7mm per can contribute to decreasing the ozone layer fogged-up safety glasses, and dizziness.
year in the period 1975 to 2009. Singapore’s and affect UV radiation levels at the surface of
annual rainfall total for Singapore since 1980 the earth. Singapore has seen haze as an effect � Flooding, Storms and Cyclones - Individuals
has increased at an average rate of 67 mm per of forest fires in Indonesia. with asthma or other respiratory conditions
decade. In 2001, the first recorded cyclone are more vulnerable to indoor air pollution
The role of safety and health professionals and mould that results from excess moisture
near the equator, Typhoon Vamei, swept north
and key stakeholders need to have a different or flooding.
of Singapore and caused major flooding in the
mindset, which will be able to identify new
region. It is uncertain whether such tropical � Short-term exposure to a large concentration
hazards and risks, prevention strategies and
cyclones near the equator will occur more of pollutants, such as from haze, may give
risk controls.
frequently in the future. rise to a set of acute symptoms known as
This article attempts to create a suitable the Sick Building Syndrome.
Singapore was blanketed in haze arising from
sustainable framework for companies that are
forest fires in the region in June 2013, causing � Vector-borne diseases - Changes in climate
likely to be affected by climate change.
air quality here to hit hazardous levels. In that are likely to lengthen the transmission
period, there was a 30 per cent increase in seasons of important vector-borne diseases
and alter their geographic range.

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 CLIMATE CLIMATE
CHANGE CHANGE

� Climate change is projected to widen � Reinforcing protective practices with small, 4. Conclusion References
significantly the area of China where the sensor-based technology that can pre-warn 1 Climate Change and Occupational Safety and Health,
snail-borne disease schistosomiasis occurs. workers about exposures. The relationship between global climate Download on 20 June 2021 from https://blogs.
change and occupational safety and health has cdc.gov/niosh-science-blog/2014/09/22/climate-
� Mental health problems are common � Top management commitment and not been extensively characterized. Several change/
throughout Asia, and are amplified by employee participation in hazard recognition, categories of climate-related hazards can be
stressors associated with climate change. assessment, and control, should address 2 Climate change and occupational safety and health:
identified, which include increased ambient establishing a preliminary framework, download on
new and increased hazards resulting from temperature, ultraviolet exposure, extreme 20 June 2021 from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.
Even small to moderate increases in ambient climate change. Training workers to identify weather, vector-borne diseases and expanded gov/19551548/
temperature at work can cause discomfort, climate-related exposures that can cause habitats. Safety and Health risk assessments
especially if workers are wearing personal hazards. 3 Hazard Zone: The Impact of Climate Change on
have to be more comprehensive and dynamic Occupational Health, Download on 20 June 2021
protective equipment, and can increase
to include the impacts of climate change from https://onlinepublichealth.gwu.edu/resources/
exposure to hazardous chemicals. � Prevention-through-design strategies can
especially with respect to outdoor activities. impact-of-climate-change-on-occupational-health/
be implemented to embed worker health
2.2.4 Who is affected by Climate Change: and safety into building more resilient 4 “Science Talk: When climate change impacts human
As a result of increased risks of work-related
infrastructure and energy-efficient buildings. health”, downloaded on 8 Dec 2021 from https://
Extreme weather events may increase stress illnesses and injuries due to climate change,
www.straitstimes.com/singapore/environmdownl
on workers, especially rescue and recovery For example, renewable energy facilities, measures are required to improve the from ent/science-talk-when-climate-change-
workers and healthcare workers. Others who such as wind-turbine farms, can be designed recognition and prevention of occupational impacts-human-health
might be affected are: to prevent injuries to maintenance workers. illnesses and injuries. Clinicians, public health
In addition, standards for office buildings that 5 Barry S. Levy and Cora Roelofs, “Impacts of Climate
workers, and others need to be trained to
� construction workers Change on Workers’ Health and Safety”, https://
previously focused on energy use can be improve their skills in suspecting and accurately doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780190632366.013.39,
revised to comply with ventilation and other diagnosing climate-related medical conditions downloaded on 8 Dec 2021 from https://
� paramedics, firefighters, police, and other
requirements for workers. in workers, especially heat-related disorders, oxfordre.com/publichealth/view/10.1093/
first responders
and helping to prevent these disorders. acrefore/9780190632366.001.0001/acrefore-
� Regulations and guidelines for the prevention 9780190632366-e-39
� transportation workers and marine workers
of climate change–related occupational Prevention of work-related illnesses and injuries
6 Venkataraman, “Impact of climate change on OSH-
3. Results and Discussion hazards, such as extreme heat, will need to includes designing and implementing measures An Overview”, submitted during GLS Summit, 2022,
be developed and implemented. directed at the workplace, such as reducing BCSP
3.1 Protecting workers from climate change physical labour during peak heat, making air
These are actions that employers can take now
It’s imperative that employers, safety conditioning available wherever feasible, and
to prepare for the inevitable exposures that will
professionals and workers stay informed about scheduling necessary rest periods during Dr N. Venkataraman
affect their vulnerable worker populations both
emerging issues and hazards associated work shifts. It also includes designing and Principal Consultant
now and in the years to come.
with climate change as a way to address implementing measures directed at workers, Fides Global Pte Ltd., Singapore
worker safety and health. Some strategies for Reducing the risks5 of work-related illnesses such as providing adequate information and [email protected]
protecting workers include: and injuries from climate change requires a training to prevent heat-related disorders,
three-pronged approach: making lightweight work clothes available, and
� Putting formal monitoring systems in place to ensuring adequate hydration.
limit worker exposures by altering workday 1. mitigating the production of greenhouse
schedules and/or increasing the frequency gases, the primary cause of climate change; Climate change exacerbates existing BACK TO MAIN
and length of breaks. occupational health and safety problems and
2. implementing adaptation measures to creates new ones. It presents many challenges
� Enhancing personal protective gear, as address the overall consequences of climate for which new and improved approaches are
needed, and finding alternatives for heat- change; and necessary.
inducing protective body gear. 3. implementing improved measures for
� Tracking changes in occupational exposures occupational health and safety.
and patterns of injury and illness as they
pertain to climate change.

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