Abstract

The dangers related to climate change (CC) represent a potential threat to occupational health and safety (OHS) and now constitute an international research priority. OHS risks may be directly (heatstroke, infectious diseases, mortality and morbidity resulting from floods, storms, increased exposure to ultraviolet radiation, etc.) or indirectly (mortality and morbidity resulting from degradation of built environments, new dangers, exposure due to jobs created to combat CC, etc.) related to CC.

This study is intended to assess, suggest and develop workplace accommodations to enable workers’ health to be protected despite the expected effects of CC.

The team of researchers has adopted the mandate of identifying the top-priority dangers related to CC, listing the highest-risk jobs, and presenting the accommodations implemented at the provincial, national and international levels. The researchers also intend to suggest new accommodations for the highest-risk jobs that are not yet covered by such measures.

Three other projects funded by the IRSST have considered issues associated with CC: Impact of climate change on occupational health and safety, Green jobs in Quebec: Definition and assessment of potential chemical and biological risks to workers’ health and Thermal stress and chemical substances – Knowledge review and highest-risk occupations in Quebec.