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Korea Herald
11-07-2025
- Health
- Korea Herald
Rest or risk: Korea mandantes breaks for outdoor workers in deadly heat
Korea needs legally binding heat-stress work stoppages to prevent further casualties, say experts South Korea will require outdoor workers to receive at least 20 minutes of rest every two hours when apparent temperatures exceed 33 degrees Celsius from as early as next week, the Ministry of Employment and Labor said Friday. The new rule — part of a revision to the Occupational Safety and Health Standards — was passed during a review by the Regulatory Reform Committee on Friday. It had been initially rejected in April and May over concerns that it would overburden small and medium-sized enterprises. The revision was made following mounting criticism from labor groups and a surge in heat-related deaths among outdoor workers during the relentless and intense heat. In recent days, more than 1,000 cases of heat-related illness have been reported — over twice the number recorded during the same period last year — as record-high temperatures grip the country. According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency's heat-related illness emergency room surveillance system, 1,357 patients had visited emergency rooms by Thursday due to heat-related illnesses, with nine deaths reported. The majority of cases, comprising 28.7 percent of the total, occurred at outdoor workplaces like construction sites. On Monday, a Vietnamese day laborer in his 20s was found dead at an apartment complex construction site in Gumi, North Gyeongsang Province. Authorities suspect the cause of his death to be a heat-related illness, as his body temperature was over 40 degrees Celsius when found. Gumi also saw daytime temperatures reach as high as 38.3 C on the same day. On July 3, a Filipino seasonal worker in his 30s was found unconscious at a field in Yeongju, North Gyeongsang Province. The worker was immediately transported to the hospital, with medical authorities suspecting he collapsed due to heat-related illness. As Korea continues to break summer heat records year after year, the government has in the past emphasized three basic principles for responding to heat waves — water, shade and rest. The Labor Ministry has also recommended that all work outdoors be suspended during heat waves — though such recommendations weren't legally binding. Korea behind on worker heat rules However, according to workers, such guidelines were not properly implemented. According to a study conducted by the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions in 2024, around 15 percent of outdoor workers reported not receiving water on site and only 20 percent of respondents indicated that they had been able to stop work during heat waves. 'The problem behind Korea's policies on working conditions for outdoor workers in summer is that they're mere recommendations and are not legally mandated,' sociology professor Lee Byoung-hun from Chung-Ang University told The Korea Herald. 'Korea needs a legislated work stoppage system based on the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature index, similar to California, to effectively respond to heat waves.' The WBGT index mentioned by professor Lee is a measure of heat stress in direct sunlight that considers temperature, humidity, wind speed and solar radiation and is used to assess the risk of heat-related illnesses during outdoor activities. 'Although Korea is seeing record-breaking summer temperatures every year, its protective measures for those working outdoors in the heat lag significantly behind other countries,' Lee added, mentioning Greece as an example. Greece recently saw temperatures reaching as high as 40 C, prompting the Greek government to order a temporary suspension of outdoor labor and delivery services in parts of the country, according to the Associated Press on Monday. 'Mandatory rest periods, wearing cooling vests as well as the installation of cooling equipment should be mandated by the government to make sure such working guidelines are properly implemented,' Lee added.
The Star
02-06-2025
- Climate
- The Star
Protect workers from heat waves or face fines, Japan tells firms
FILE PHOTO: Pedestrians walk with umbrellas to shield from the sun in the Shinjuku district of Tokyo where temperatures topped 35 degrees Celsius on July 8, 2024. - AFP TOKYO: Tougher rules being enforced in Japan will see employers fined if they fail to take adequate precautions to protect workers from extreme temperatures. The revised legislation, which came into effect June 1, is a rare global example of a national-level policy on heat safety for employees, and comes after 30 workplace deaths and roughly 1,200 injuries last year associated with high temperatures, according to health ministry data. Most of those affected worked in construction or manufacturing. Japan's government moved to strengthen protections following last summer's searing heat - which included the highest July temperatures on record, the ministry said in a statement. Businesses will face potential penalties including fines of 500,000 yen (US$3,475) if provisions aren't sufficient. Heatstroke is a potentially life-threatening condition caused by dangerously high body temperature that can result in severe organ damage if not treated quickly. There were almost half a million heat-related deaths annually between 2000 and 2019, according to a report last year by the World Health Organisation. Along with public health impacts, higher temperatures can impact worker productivity and there's growing concern about the economic toll that heat waves have on economies. Global average temperatures exceeded 1.5C degrees above pre-industrial levels for the first time in 2024 and new highs are forecast to be recorded over the next five years, according the World Meteorological Organization. Japan's legislation requires employers to implement protocols to quickly spot and aid workers showing symptoms of heatstroke. Policies encourage companies to use a buddy system at work sites, distribute wearable devices to monitor staff, and provide emergency transportation to hospitals or clinics. Employers are urged to monitor the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature index, a gauge of heat stress in direct sunlight that takes into account factors like temperature and humidity. Specific measures are required for work sites where the index value exceeds 28C or an atmospheric temperature of 31C for more than one hour, or for a total of four hours or more in a single day. A worker performing moderate work intensity loses half of their work capacity at 33C to 34C (91F-93F), according to a 2019 study from the International Labour Organisation. The same report estimated the economic impact of heat stress by 2030 at US$2.4 trillion if greenhouse gas emissions aren't cut. "We are working on measures such as taking breaks according to the heat index and measuring internal body temperature using wearable devices,' said a spokesperson for Shimizu Corp., one of the nation's largest general contractors, which employs more than 20,000 people. The company said it is constantly updating its heatstroke policies. Parcel delivery service Yamato Transport Co. plans to distribute 75,000 fan-equipped vests to workers, including those who use carts and bicycles to drop off packages. It's also installing 3,000 wet bulb index measuring devices at business locations to better track working conditions. The measures are not in response to the new law, the company said. California and Washington are among US states to have developed similar rules on worker protections, and the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration has proposed setting a federal standard. There were an average 40 recorded fatalities a year in the US related to environmental heat between 2011 and 2020, according to the Department of Labour. - Bloomberg
