April 2024 International Blog - World Day for Safety and Health at Work

Climate change on human health

This year’s Oxford-Cambridge boat race was overshadowed by claims of high levels of sewage in the River Thames and allegations of e-coli causing sickness amongst crew members. This led me to reflect on how my early days as a health & safety manager in manufacturing industry were changed by the introduction of COSHH Regulations at the end of the 1980’s.

The regulations obliged us to evaluate the effect of substances on people inside the factory – but what about people outside the factory?

After all, those same substances were being sucked out of the factory by fume extraction into the surrounding countryside.

My role therefore gradually changed to that of a health safety and environmental manager.

Impacts of industry

For at least two centuries, industrial chemical pollution has had significant and wide-ranging effects on the environment – and therefore on our health.

The British Medical Journal recently estimated that excess deaths due to fine particulate and ozone air pollution could be 8.34 million deaths per year.

Even if you feel that you work in a non-polluting sector, the manufacture and powering of the equipment you use today may well have led to some of the following environmental effects:

• Human Health: Exposure to pollutants through contaminated air, water, and food can cause a range of health problems, including respiratory diseases, neurological disorders, reproductive issues, cancer, and developmental abnormalities. Vulnerable populations, such as children, pregnant women, and communities living near industrial facilities, are particularly at risk.

• Water Pollution: Pollution can contaminate freshwater sources, leading to the death of aquatic life, disruption of ecosystems, and rendering water unfit for drinking or recreational use. Chemical pollutants like heavy metals, pesticides, and industrial solvents can persist in water for long periods, causing long-term health effects.

• Soil Contamination: Chemical pollutants can also seep into the soil, where they affect the health of plants, reducing crop yields and contaminating food supplies. Additionally, chemicals in the soil can leach into groundwater – see above point.

• Air Pollution: Airborne pollutants, including particulate matter, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds, and heavy metals contribute to air quality degradation, smog formation, and respiratory problems in humans and animals. Moreover, certain airborne chemicals like mercury can bioaccumulate in the environment, posing risks to ecosystems and human health.

• Loss of Biodiversity: Toxic chemicals can disrupt the reproductive systems of organisms, reduce populations, and even lead to species extinction. Contaminated habitats may become unsuitable for many forms of life, leading to the loss of biodiversity and ecological imbalance.

• Bioaccumulation/biomagnification: Some industrial chemicals are persistent and bioaccumulate in organisms over time. As predators consume contaminated prey, the concentration of pollutants can increase through a process known as biomagnification. This can lead to high levels of toxic chemicals in apex predators, such as fish or birds of prey, posing serious health risks to both wildlife and the humans who consume contaminated food.

• Climate Change: Certain industrial chemicals, such as greenhouse gases (e.g., carbon dioxide, methane), contribute to climate change by trapping heat in the atmosphere, leading to global warming and far-reaching consequences for ecosystems, weather patterns, and sea levels.

World Day for Safety and Health at Work 2024

Every year, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) commemorates the World Day for Safety and Health at Work, focusing on a timely theme related to occupational safety and health.

This year, the theme will focus on exploring the impacts of climate change on occupational safety and health.

A global event with experts and guest speakers from governments, employers and workers to discuss how to protect workers and respond to this global challenge, will take place on Thursday 25 April 2024 at 13:30 CET on ILO Live.

Make a diary note to join the discussion. There are already free posters you can download to publicise the event within your company

Contact us

Arinite clients worldwide appreciate we provide practical, no-nonsense advice about what you need to do to establish and maintain a safe and healthy working environment.

Our team of health and safety consultants take pride in keeping health and safety simple.

If you need to call upon our expert assistance, or just for an informal chat, please call our
office +44 207 947 9581, or type an enquiry to: https://www.arinite.com/contact-us/.

Jan Mirkowski