Latest news with #outdoorworkers
New York Times
2 days ago
- Climate
- New York Times
Smoke From Wildfires in Canada Wafts Into the Upper Midwest
Smoke from wildfires in Canada has begun drifting across the border into the United States, raising concerns on Friday about possible health hazards in the Upper Midwest, the authorities said. Warnings about poor air quality were issued in Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota along with advisories for people in certain groups to curtail outdoor activity. In Michigan, meteorologists at the Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy said on Friday that the levels of fine particulate in the air would be elevated in the state through Saturday morning. People in sensitive groups, defined as those with heart or lung disease, older adults, children, pregnant people and outdoor workers, who may be more susceptible to the smoke, were advised to take precautions, such as adjusting outdoor activity. Particulates are small specks of soot, ash and dust that are picked up by winds and flow hundreds of miles across borders and state lines. In Canada, wildfire season typically runs from March until October. In Western Canada, fire activity normally sees an uptick in May. The season got off to a grim start earlier this month when two people were killed in the province of Manitoba as a wildfire raged, forcing the evacuation of an entire town. This week in Saskatchewan and Manitoba, neighboring provinces in Canada's prairies, dozens of wildfires spread out-of-control, displacing thousands of residents. A cold front was dragging smoke from the large wildfires in Manitoba and Saskatchewan across the border into Minnesota's northern region and tribal nations. The smoke was generating a reading of red on the air quality index, a standard measurement used by states to track particulate pollution, meaning it is unhealthy for many members of the general public. Air quality in the rest of the state was expected to be orange, or unhealthy especially for sensitive groups, Minnesota's Pollution Control Agency said. 'This will be a long-duration event with multiple rounds of smoke expected,' the agency said. The highest concentration of smoke is expected through Saturday afternoon, before a second round of smoke billows in on Sunday and a third wave arrives on Monday. In Wisconsin, state officials said hazy skies and elevated levels of fine particle pollution from the wildfires were forecast to drift into the northwestern region of the state before thickening and moving south on Friday. The advisory in Wisconsin is set to expire at 6 a.m. on Saturday, the Department of Natural Resources said, but there was a chance that the impacts from the smoke could continue in other areas. It said that there was also the possibility that the alert level on the air quality index could reach orange, or unhealthy for sensitive groups, and possibly red, meaning many more would be affected.
CTV News
3 days ago
- Climate
- CTV News
Outdoor workers try to beat the heat as daily temperatures remain high
Many will try to stay out of the sun during the heat wave in southern Alberta. Those needing to work outside are finding ways to keep cool.
South China Morning Post
22-05-2025
- Climate
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong authorities step up safety measures after worker dies from heatstroke
Hong Kong labour authorities have stepped up measures to better protect outdoor workers at risk of heatstroke by subsidising employers who want to purchase cooling equipment, as the city issued its fourth 'very hot weather' warning in less than a week. The announcement followed a fatal industrial incident of a 42-year-old worker, who reportedly suffered from heatstroke and fainted at a hospital construction site on Wednesday. He was pronounced dead at Prince of Wales Hospital in Sha Tin that same afternoon. The worker's father was so shocked to learn about the sudden death that he cried in front of local media, saying: 'I still do not know … why I suddenly lost my son.' The city has seen several torrid days since last Saturday, with the Hong Kong Observatory issuing four 'very hot weather' warning signals within six days. Some places in the New Territories recorded temperatures of more than 33 degrees Celsius (91.4 Fahrenheit) on Wednesday, while some areas rose to 35 degrees on Thursday afternoon. The weather forecaster issued the amber heat stress warning from 1.30pm to 4.30pm on Thursday, alerting outdoor workers of different job types to rest for 15 to 45 minutes every hour. Deputy Commissioner for the Labour Department Vincent Fung Hao-yin told the press heatstroke was preventable if employers took appropriate measures to help workers cool down.
South China Morning Post
06-05-2025
- Health
- South China Morning Post
The hidden toll of Hong Kong's food delivery riders
Sunny Waseem* can often be spotted on his motorbike weaving through the Hong Kong traffic under the scorching sun with a food delivery bag. But what goes unnoticed is the sweat, headaches, thirst and pressure to fulfil an order on time. The 33-year-old delivery rider routinely works more than 12 hours daily, handling back-to-back orders during the busy lunch rush. 'Most of our working hours are during the very hot weather. So it really affects me. I feel exhaustion, an increase in sweat and shortness of breath,' said the full-time rider, who has six years of experience. Waseem said that he had to take painkillers several times a week to relieve headaches caused by the heat. He felt he could not afford to take breaks in the shade because the food delivery platform's algorithms would downgrade him, leading to a reduction in his income. Deliveroo bows out of Hong Kong, selling assets to rival Foodpanda A recent Greenpeace survey of 117 delivery workers from ethnic minority backgrounds found that more than 80 per cent reported experiencing heat-related illnesses during work. 'During extreme weather, outdoor workers bore the brunt because they had no choice but to continue doing laborious work … a lot of riders would just bite the bullet,' said Tom Ng Hon-lam, a campaigner at the green group. About 100 survey respondents reported a surge in orders during hot and rainy days, as well as typhoons, with more than 70 per cent working under these extreme conditions. In 2023, the government introduced a new three-tier warning system to reduce the risk of heatstroke among outdoor workers. Guidelines on heatstroke prevention were updated last year to make the system more practical for both employers and workers. The green group said it hoped the government would consider establishing separate guidelines specifically addressing the needs of delivery workers. From left to right: Mak Tak-ching, a project executive at Hong Kong Christian Industrial Committee; Tom Ng, a project officer of Greenpeace; and Sunny Waseem, a food delivery rider. Photo: Elson Li According to a Census and Statistics Department report, Hong Kong has around 13,000 food platform delivery workers. Riders or couriers are divided into different tiers. The top-tier earners are those who meet target delivery times and do not reject orders, according to Waseem. He said the 'batch one' workers had priority in choosing shifts with the most orders. 'If I take a break for 15 minutes because I am afraid that I will have heatstroke, somehow I will be unable to work for Foodpanda for a whole week,' he said. 'They will calculate how many minutes I was absent from the shift, which will result in a change in my batch.' When Waseem was demoted from batch one to tier two or three, his daily earnings decreased from HK$1,200 (US$154) to around HK$800. Following Deliveroo's recent departure from Hong Kong, Waseem now works for Foodpanda and Keeta, which he described as 'notorious' for penalising riders who did not meet their standards. Your Voice: delivery drivers deserve our empathy (long letters) Waseem does not dare to take breaks and risk being downgraded. He said he prepares a large water bottle and drinks ion-supply drinks to stay hydrated. Mak Tak-ching, a member of the Riders' Rights Concern Group, noted that while some outdoor cleaners and security guards were given equipment by their employers to stay cool during hot weather, delivery workers had to fend for themselves. He called for greater long-term protection of riders' rights through formal employee recognition. Greenpeace also urged the platforms to consider riders' needs, including providing heat protection clothing and portable fans or setting up rest stations with free water dispensers across the city. Mak Tak-ching, who is also a member of the Riders' Rights Concern Group, said delivery workers essentially had to fend for themselves. Photo: Elson Li Foodpanda said on Wednesday that it had never required couriers to deliver orders within a limited time frame. 'Couriers have the option to accept or pass on any of the dispatched orders, and we offer them the flexibility to take breaks during their shift – at any time and from any location,' the company said. As for its batch system, the platform said the division was 'determined by an aggregate of various performance components', which meant passing on orders or taking breaks 'may or may not affect a courier's overall batch number'. Keeta said it was committed to offering riders flexible schedules and had provided them with equipment such as raincoats and water jackets. 'The safety and well-being of our riders are our top priorities, and we encourage them to prioritise their well-being and take breaks as needed,' Keeta said. *Name changed at interviewee's request.
