Occupational Health and Climate Changes

1. Occupational Health and Climate Changes Team Leader Dr A.Muosa MoH Expert Dr Fayez Jariri MoH Expert Dr A.Khader MoH Expert Dr M.Zogol External Expert Dr,Ali Hyari

2. Introduction • Literature review show the experience of other countries 1. In the region 2. international 3. At the national level in the other sectors.

3. Occupational Health It is defined as promotion and maintenance of the highest degree of physical , mental and social well-being of workers in all occupations by preventing departures from health caused by their working conditions ; controlling risks and adaptation of work to people and people to their jobs (according to their physiological and psychological capabilities). (ILO)

4. Weather, Climate and Climate Variability Weather is the day to day changing atmospheric conditions. Climate is the average state of the atmosphere and the underlying land or water in a particular region over specified time-scale. Climate is what you expect and weather is what you get. Climate variability is the variation around the mean climate this includes seasonal variation and irregular events such as Elnino.(WHO climate changes and human health 2003)

5. Climate Changes Climate changes results from both natural and human processes. Emission of green house gases effect human health. It operates over decades or longer, Therefore human induced to the global climate system a set of atmospheric and surface variables such as temperature, precipitation wind , humidity , cloudiness, soil moisture sea surface temperature and the thickness of sea ice. The natural results from hurricanes , volcanoes etc Climatologists use climatic normal as a basis for comparison for climate during the following decade.(WHO climate change and human health 2003)

6. Heat Disorders • Heat syncope • Heat edema . • Heat tetany. • Heat cramps. • Heat exhaustion . • Heat stroke . • Heat rash

7. Cold stress • There are two types of effect, • Local effect of cold , chilblains and frost bite, • Systemic effect of cold, essential hypertension and menstrual disorders. • Cold precipitated disorders, cold urticaria and Raynaud's phenomena.

8. The population of all countries exposed to increased health risk from the climate changes impact . The risk will be greater in low income countries because of the current burden of diseases, the health system is relatively weak, their socio-economic status will not help them to implement the adaptation measures to protect themselves and the accessibility to the health services is not adequate.

9. Annual Min. Max and General Average Air Temp. at Amman Civil Airport • 2000 2009 • Average Min. Temp 12.7 13 • Average Max. Temp. 23.6 24.1 • General Average 18.1 18.5

10. Population • Population included in this assessment are out door workers, construction , agricultural, the municipality workers and the surface miners workers, are the main workers who are suffering from climate changes because the nature of their work(under the sun). If the greenhouse gases emission still on the increase they are going to suffer from the thermal stress.

11. Objectives • To introduce the concept of climate changes. • To raise level of awareness among the indoor and out door workers about the health impact of climate changes. • To build a preventive strategy for climate changes impact as well as a curative. • To introduce the concept of C C in the national strategy of the occupational health.

12. Labor Force • Construction workers 47618 • Manufacturing workers 171777 • Agricultural workers 89772 • Source DOS 2009

13. When the temperature rises the wind velocity will decrease which in turn reflects the particulate movement so the workers exposed to heavier dose of particulates. There are certain liquids will ignite, the gases will suspended in the air . (moist skin is able to absorb more toxicant) Therefore recurrent exposure to the hazards will increase. The health of the workers deteriorate and their productivity will decrease.

14. On the other side if rain fall increases in intensity with decreased duration, the evaporation rate of water increases which will affect the crops production. Therefore the agricultural workers are the most affected people from both aspects , productivity and health. • The pesticides will move immediately to the soil, which will finally invade the food chain.

15. Work plan • The team developed a very simple questionnaire, and decided to enroll the highly exposed(out door workers) • In Al Hassa area where the phosphate company is working. • Other group will work on the municipality workers , • construction workers (the team get the approval from the Contractor association. • Agricultural workers in Jordan valley. • and all information will be given to the statistician to be analyzed. • To develop the adaptation plan accordingly .

16. The Questionnaire(Instrument of the study) The questionnaire contains the following • Age • Duration of service • Did you face any problem due to weather? • Did you take any precaution due to increase in temperature? • Did you feel that your productivity decreases during hot days? • Did you stop working in hot days?

17. Completeness of the Instruments of study • Face to face interview with out door workers. and when possible to complete the simple questionnaire by themselves. • When possible to chick the records of the enrolled workers

18. Mapping of stakeholders • Stakeholders that should be partner is The ministry of labor and the institute of training on safety and occupational heath. • Stakeholders that should be consulted is the Universities and Royal scientific society

19. Mapping of stakeholders • stakeholders that should be informed periodically Social security corporation and Ministry of Agriculture. Water authority and Ministry of water • Stakeholders that should be involved within the team is The ministry of labor

20. Stakeholders • For environmental measurement the institute of safety and occupational health is substantial stakeholders

21. Experience from other countries • In a study conducted on40,913 Thai workers( The association between over health , psychological distress, and occupational heat stress) concluded that, the hot climate found to reduce productivity of workers . • This association between occupational heat stress and worse health, needs more public attention • Further development on occupational health interventions should be implemented as climate changes increases the Thailand temperature.

22. Climate Changes in Indonesia • A recent study by a local research institute said that 300,000 tones of crop production every year between 1992-2000.three times the annual loss in the previous decade. • Indonesia is a significant emitter of green house gases due to deforestation and it is a serious coal producer and user of in the region.

23. Climate Changes in Australia • The best estimate of rainfall decrease is 7.5%.Under high emission scenario the best estimate of 10%.Evaporation rates are likely to increase. high-fire danger weather likely to increase, sea levels will continue to rise.

24. climate changes and occupational health action Health out come Occupational injuries , diseases loss of productivity. treatment machine Malnourished worker Personal hygiene Contamination Poor food protection More arid land Decrease in water use Decrease air movement Decrease precipitation Air pollution Water scarcity prevention Rise in temperature Population growth Climate changes

25. The Results of Vulnerability. • After the questionnaire was entered in the EP info, the results are shown in the following slides

26. Table 1: shows the difference of all variables among workers the highest percentage seen among workers who consider the increase in temperature

27. Table 2 shows the number of the municipality workers who affected by increase in tem

28. Table three: shows the number of farmers who are affected by the increase in temperature starting by the loss of productivity

29. Table 5: Shows the compares ion between the construction workers working in temperate climate and those working in hot, all the variables are higher among the workers in the hot climate than the temperate one

30. THANK YOU