Outdoor laborers in China endure excessive heat conditions

Outdoor laborers in China endure excessive heat conditions

In China, both couriers and sanitation workers number around 5 million, making them a significant part of the workforce. However, these outdoor workers face significantly higher health risks during heatwaves compared to many other groups due to prolonged exposure to extreme heat exceeding 35°C.

Heatwaves pose occupational health risks, as a UN Development Programme report found. Outdoor workers, including construction laborers, food delivery drivers, farmers, forest rangers, and sanitation workers, are particularly vulnerable because of muscle exertion generating body heat combined with high ambient temperatures. These workers are at risk of serious conditions such as heat exhaustion, heat stroke, and increased risk of work-related injuries.

Heat-related emergency admissions predominantly involve outdoor laborers, some of whom have additional vulnerabilities like older age or chronic diseases. Despite the risks, certain indoor workplaces with high temperatures (e.g., laundries, boiler rooms) also pose risks, though often less studied.

To address these risks, Chinese regulations require employers to adopt multiple protective measures. These include the implementation of heat-reducing technologies and engineering controls, design and construction of heat protection facilities, routine monitoring and risk assessment of heat exposures, provision of occupational health examinations, and prohibition of assigning vulnerable groups to high-temperature operations classified as severe hazards.

However, many outdoor workers, especially those in flexible or informal employment like food delivery drivers, face inadequate heat protection and relief due to regulatory and practical gaps. Delivery drivers are reluctant to use service stations or cool off in non-delivery locations due to feeling conspicuous and tight delivery schedules. Most food delivery drivers interviewed did not have the awareness or ability to seek professional health assessments when they felt unwell.

The potential work hours lost due to heat stress in China increased by 24.1% in 2023, reaching 36.9 billion hours. By 2018, nearly 100 million people were already engaged in high-temperature outdoor labor in China. Across China, the number of food delivery drivers working outdoors exceeds 10 million, with over 50,000 in Beijing alone.

From 2019 to 2023, China's heat-related deaths were 1.9 times higher than the historical average. In response, delivery platforms can monitor the duration and distance of online orders and adjust delivery time, order volume, and delivery range to ensure the health and safety of workers. In some cities, restaurants, bank branches, and subway stations have set up "care points" for food delivery drivers.

The International Organization for Standardization uses the Wet-Bulb Globe Temperature to identify high-temperature work environments and calculate rest and work cycles under different levels of physical exertion. The Lancet report showed that in 2023, the average number of days in which people in China were exposed to heatwaves reached 16, more than three times the historical average (1986-2005).

In June 2023, the first meteorological orange alert for the risk of stroke from heat was released, and more targeted health-protection recommendations are provided to groups at higher risk for strokes. By the end of 2024, 3,025 heatstroke-prevention stations had been established in one city.

Bike-share dispatchers are also among the workers exposed to high temperatures in Chinese cities. Experts highlight that health risks among outdoor workers during heatwaves in China still receive insufficient attention, with calls for stronger enforcement and better coverage of vulnerable populations.

1. The United Nations Development Programme has reported on heatwaves posing occupational health risks.
2. Construction laborers, food delivery drivers, farmers, and forest rangers are among the outdoor workers vulnerable to heatwaves.
3. Outdoor workers are at risk of heat exhaustion, heat stroke, and work-related injuries during heatwaves.
4. Older outdoor workers and those with chronic diseases are more susceptible to heat-related emergency admissions.
5. High-temperature indoor workplaces like laundries and boiler rooms also pose heat-related risks, though less studied.
6. Chinese regulations require employers to implement heat-reducing technologies and engineering controls.
7. Employers are also expected to design and construct heat protection facilities, and provide occupational health examinations.
8. However, many outdoor workers, such as food delivery drivers, lack adequate heat protection due to regulatory and practical gaps.
9. Delivery drivers refrain from using service stations or cool off in non-delivery areas due to conspicuousness and tight schedules.
10. The potential work hours lost due to heat stress in China increased by 24.1% in 2023.
11. By 2018, nearly 100 million people were already engaged in high-temperature outdoor labor in China.
12. The number of food delivery drivers working outdoors in China exceeds 10 million, with over 50,000 in Beijing alone.
13. China's heat-related deaths were 1.9 times higher than the historical average from 2019 to 2023.
14. Delivery platforms can adjust delivery times, order volumes, and delivery ranges to ensure worker health and safety.
15. Some cities in China have set up "care points" for food delivery drivers at restaurants, bank branches, and subway stations.
16. The International Organization for Standardization uses the Wet-Bulb Globe Temperature to measure high-temperature work environments.
17. The Lancet report showed that in 2023, the average number of days exposed to heatwaves in China reached 16, more than three times the historical average (1986-2005).
18. In June 2023, the first meteorological orange alert for the risk of stroke from heat was issued.
19. Heatstroke-prevention stations have been established in response to rising heat-related incidents.
20. Bike-share dispatchers are another group exposed to high temperatures in Chinese cities.
21. Experts urge stronger enforcement and better coverage of vulnerable populations to address health risks among outdoor workers during heatwaves.
22. Carbon emissions from manufacturing contribute to climate change, which exacerbates heatwaves.
23. Science and technology can offer sustainable solutions to reduce carbon emissions and mitigate the effects of climate change.
24. In the realm of health and wellness, climate change can lead to respiratory conditions, digestive health issues, eye health problems, skin conditions, hearing impairments, and mental health challenges. Efforts in environmental science, industries like manufacturing, and healthcare focusing on therapies and treatments are vital to address these impacts.

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