Pregnant womens’ exposure to heat in the workplace led to a doubled risk of miscarriage, and other adverse risks through term and at birth for both the mother and fetus, a new study finds. Furthermore, nearly half of pregnant workers surveyed had a high occupational heat exposure, due to direct sun exposure or heat generated in the workplace.
As climate change progresses, the hazard threat of occupational heat exposure will increase, hampering worker health and productivity. The findings underscore the important roles that workers, business, and government play in mitigating those effects.
The research was conducted by Rekha Shanmugam and Vidhya Venugopal from Sri Ramachandra Institute, and other scientists based in England and India. Venugopal is an affiliated La Isla Network researcher, and she sits on the organization’s Board.
Though previous studies on the effects of heat on pregnant working womens’ health have been conducted, they have focused on high-income countries. This study took place in India, and recruited 800 pregnant working women in the South Asian country.
The researchers said workers should have access to the information they need to understand the hazard that occupational heat exposure poses to their health. Furthermore, employers and policymakers should make decisions that protect workers. Venugopal says that employers must acknowledge their responsibility to create a safe and healthy working environment for their employees, reducing the potential for heat stress. This can be achieved through measures like rest, shade, hydration and sanitation.
“Policymakers’ implementation of regulations and guidelines is of the utmost importance in safeguarding vulnerable populations, including pregnant women, against the detrimental consequences of heat exposure and promoting safe, healthy working environments,” Venugopal says.
Shanmugam took on the study as the lead researcher to fill the gap in knowledge about the effects of heat exposure on pregnant women. “As an occupational health research nurse, I understand the adverse outcomes caused by heat stress for pregnant working women. I aimed to shed light on this ignored issue and contribute valuable insights to the scientific community, policymakers, and stakeholders, ultimately advocating for better protection and support for pregnant women in the workforce.”
The research will continue, with a focus not only on the effects of heat exposure on pregnant working womens’ health, but also on the mechanisms driving the adverse outcomes.
Venugopal notes the influence that La Isla Network’s research and interventions in Mesoamerica has had on her research and teaching. “Through first-hand experiences, I have gleaned profound lessons on the urgent need to address heat-related health risks, especially among the workforce,” she says.
“These experiences have enriched my understanding of the complexities surrounding occupational health issues and underscored the importance of integrating local context into research and teaching endeavors. Moving forward, I am committed to leveraging these insights to advance impactful research and advocate for policies that prioritize the health and well-being of vulnerable workers worldwide.”
La Isla Network protects workers in a changing climate. We generate and implement data-driven worker protection and management assessment protocols to improve the resiliency of workforces and businesses to heat stress. For more information please contact in**@la***********.org .
