Scorching temperatures put workers at risk — and bring calls for measures to cool down worksites
From fans to ice packs to new guidelines, experts say heat needs to be taken seriously
On a hot day, the temperature inside one of Shawn Manning's Montreal greenhouses can exceed 40 C. It can be stifling.
"In that sort of temperature, you can't really handle it for more than just a few minutes at a time," said Manning, owner of Urban Seedling, an urban agriculture business that specializes in landscaping, growing vegetables and other edible plants, and creating organic vegetable gardens for customers.
Those kinds of temperatures are now becoming more common outdoors, too.
Globally, July marked the hottest month in recorded history, according to the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service, with deadly heat waves in the southern United States, Europe and Asia.
In British Columbia, a sweltering heat wave descended this week, and more than a dozen daily temperature records fell on Monday. The town of Lytton, B.C., recorded a high of 41.4 C, the highest temperature anywhere in Canada this year.
Increased periods of extreme heat in the years to come mean there will be a need for greater understanding of the risks of working in scorching temperatures, experts say. Workers in Europe and the United States have already staged protests and walkouts over working conditions during this summer's heat.
Calls for clearer guidelines
Last week, Ontario announced a new proposed regulation aimed at better protecting workers from heat stress and heat-related illnesses.
If implemented, employers would be required to take further steps to prevent heat exposure and establish workplace protocols, including recognizing the signs and symptoms of heat-related illnesses and protective measures.
To be effective, though, these kinds of regulations will need to be both clear and adaptable to individual employees, said Glen Kenny, a professor of physiology and director of the Human and Environmental Physiology Research Unit at the University of Ottawa.
Everyone reacts differently to heat, depending on such factors as age and pre-existing health conditions, he said in an interview.
In the worst cases, high temperatures can put severe strain on the heart, cloud cognition, cause rapid dehydration and eventually lead to death if your body can't cool down fast enough, scientists say.
"There's still a lot of work to be done to understand what are the actual appropriate mitigation strategies that industry should employ," Kenny said. "The standards that are currently in play and being used by industry are somewhat outdated."
Ultimately, he said, all provinces, along with the federal government, should update guidelines for employers as more is learned about how heat affects the body.
Asked whether Ottawa is planning to introduce guidelines for working in the heat that all provinces could follow, a spokesperson for Employment and Social Development Canada said in an email that under current federal regulations, employers are required to bring in a hazard prevention program "when indoor or outdoor heat exposure is identified as a potential workplace hazard."
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It also said that the department's labour program has developed a guideline "to assist federally regulated workplaces that face thermal stress."
Other countries have already taken steps. South of the border, U.S. President Joe Biden recently ordered the government's Occupational Safety and Health Administration to draft a heat standard for workplaces.
Inside and out
The heat can also have an economic impact, with high temperatures taking a toll on workers' production levels both outdoors and inside.
Research published earlier this year found that extreme temperatures reduce manufacturing output, due to both a slowdown in production and a drop in demand. That same paper predicted annual manufacturing output losses due to extreme temperature could reach 3.7 per cent by mid-century and 7.2 per cent by the end of the century.
In B.C., a restaurant in Victoria opted to close early on Sunday and Monday this week as temperatures soared.
Tarn Tayanuth, owner of Dumpling Drop, said staff have fans at every station and wear ice packs to stay cool, but some still struggle with heat exhaustion and dizziness.
"It's been really, really hot in this old building that has not much ventilation," she said. "I'll pick staff safety over profit any day."
Raul Gatica, a former farm worker and co-founder of the Migrant Workers' Dignity Association in B.C., said extreme heat can be especially difficult for agricultural workers.
In some cases, he said, they work from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., with little opportunity to get relief from the heat, and then return to lodging that is hot and stuffy.
"They have no fans; they live in overcrowded houses with no ventilation," he said. "That is very concerning."
Heat stress claims on rise
Heat stress claims from workers have been on the rise in B.C. Between 2018 and 2020, WorkSafeBC, the province's workers' compensation board, saw an average of 41 accepted claims per year from heat stress.
The number of claims increased to 115 during the heat dome in 2021, and remained elevated in 2022, with a total of 81 claims from heat stress.
Workers most at risk of heat stress include those at farms, construction sites, restaurants and factories, according to the provincial agency.
In the case of Shawn Manning at Urban Seedling, Montreal has for the most part escaped extreme heat beating down on much of the globe this summer.
He said he's taken steps to keep the greenhouse cooler for his seasonal workers by installing shade cloth, a misting system and, in his hottest greenhouse, an air-conditioning unit.
When it's hot outside, Manning said he ensures his crews take other precautions.
"Definitely, making sure that everybody has water," he said.
"Take a few minutes every once in a while in the shade, making sure we all have sunscreen and are covered up as much as possible from the sun — and definitely little treats, like ice cream cones and Popsicles."
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With files from Emily Fagan
