New rules force companies in Japan to address heatstroke crisis
Under a revised ordinance that took effect on June 1, businesses will be penalized if they fail to act after investigations found many deaths resulted from delayed detection of symptoms and inadequate responses.
Companies are required to take measures for staff working for 60 consecutive minutes or for four hours per day in temperatures exceeding 31 C, or at 28 C or above on the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature -- a global heat index calculated based on multiple factors including humidity.
Under the rules, companies must designate a person at each workplace to be responsible for reporting possible heatstroke cases among staff.
Business operators must also set up procedures to prevent the worsening of symptoms, such as having an employee immediately stop working, cooling the person down and ensuring medical support is provided. Employers are required to inform their workforce of the arrangements.
In the event of a breach, penalties include up to six months of imprisonment or a fine of up to 500,000 yen, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare said.
The number of deaths caused by heatstroke at workplaces hit 31 in 2024, exceeding 30 for the third straight year, as Japan logged its equal-hottest summer since comparable data became available in 1898.
The number of workplace deaths and injuries related to heatstroke in 2024 was a record-high 1,257, the ministry said.
An analysis of 103 heatstroke deaths between 2020 and 2023 found 70 percent of victims were working outdoors, while 78 cases saw delayed detection of symptoms contributing to the death. In 41 deaths, it was found there was an inadequate response to the worker's symptoms.
Taku Furukawa, a lawyer with expertise in workplace heatstroke compensation cases, stressed companies need to seriously consider the risk posed by the physical intensity of tasks being performed, in addition to monitoring the temperature and time spent working, saying prevention is key.
"It is often too late when heatstroke is detected. The new regulation lacks the perspective of taking steps to prevent heatstroke, such as reducing exposure to heat at workplaces and shortening or adjusting working hours," Furukawa said.
© KYODO
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