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WHO–WMO Report: Extreme Heat Is Driving a Global Worker Health Crisis

The UN guidance frames workplace heat as a public-health and economic threat, urging locally tailored protections.

Workmen pause as they dig up a section of road in Westminster during a heatwave, in London, Britain, August 12, 2025. REUTERS/Jack Taylor/File Photo
Construction workers eat popsicles to keep cool on their worksite in downtown Montreal on Tuesday, June 18, 2024. Environment Canada issued a heat warning Tuesday for the remainder of the week, expecting temperatures of 30-35 degrees Celsius, but feeling closer to 40-45 degrees with the humidex. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi
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Overview

  • WHO and WMO released a joint report and updated technical guidance on Aug. 22, marking the first major overhaul of workplace heat advice since 1969.
  • Drawing on ILO data, the agencies say more than 2.4 billion workers face excessive heat, contributing to over 22.85 million injuries and nearly 19,000 deaths each year.
  • Worker output falls by roughly 2–3% for every degree Celsius above 20°C, with WMO noting 2024 as the hottest year on record and more frequent days above 40–50°C.
  • Health risks cited include heatstroke, dehydration, kidney dysfunction and neurological harm, with elevated danger for outdoor labor and heat-intensive indoor jobs and for older or chronically ill workers.
  • The guidance calls for occupational heat action plans co-developed with employers, workers, unions and health authorities; it is non-binding, and unions in Europe are pressing for statutory maximum working temperatures.