La Isla Network, HEAT-SHIELD, and ENBEL — a project funded by the EU’s Horizon2020 program aimed at connecting health and climate change research — produced a film that showcases the effect of climate change on the occupational safety and health of manual laborers in Europe.
The progression of climate change will put manual laborers, among others, at an increasingly higher threat of work-related injuries. The culprit here is heat. Without adequate mechanisms in place that promote water, rest, and shade, manual laborers will continue to suffer from injuries with known preventable causes. Andreas Flouris, associate professor at the University of Thessaly in Greece, said that as the world gets hotter more workers will be exposed to dangerous conditions, thus overburdening healthcare systems. “It’s a vicious cycle that we need to cut, we need to stop, and address this problem right now,” he said.
The HEAT-SHIELD film introduces the audience to the problem: rising levels of heat and the threats it poses to workers who are exposed to it. The film is set in Greece, taking us to multiple cities showing us how agricultural workers, quarry workers, and even tour guides at the Acropolis in Athens are being affected by rising levels of heat. Additionally, the audience peeks into the research of Professor Flouris. The data from his research sheds light on the occupational risks that heat poses, and in turn is used to inform policy change. “We need to turn our attention to science and translate its findings to public policy,” said Konstantinos Agrapidas, Head of the Occupational Health and Safety Directorate in Greece.
The film showcases the work of HEAT-SHIELD, an EU funded project that addresses the negative impacts of workplace heat stress on the health and productivity of the EU workforce. HEAT-SHIELD’s goal is to connect the stakeholders who can shape policy with those who have the research and development capacity that is necessary to develop solutions. Ultimately, the work of HEAT-SHIELD and its partner ENBEL is helping to drive critical collaboration and policy that will put in place the mechanisms that will provide laborers with water, rest, shade, and other solutions that they need to stay healthy and productive. All partners behind the film are honored to partner with Ed Kashi and Talking Eyes Media to tell the story of those protecting workers in a changing climate. The film was directed and produced by La Isla Network CEO Jason Glaser.
Andreas Flouris is an Associate Professor at the University of Thessaly, in Greece, and a Visiting Professor at the University of Ottawa, Canada. He is contributing to a series of large international research projects in Europe and North America and he has published widely on the effects of different environmental factors on human health, productivity, and performance. He is currently participating in several Working Groups tasked to develop prevention measures to reduce the impacts of environmental factors for workers, athletes, and the general population, including the World Health Organization, the International Labour Organization, and the Greek Ministry of Labour. In addition to his research efforts, Dr Flouris is a climate action advocate and he is working with national and international institutions to support climate action for a more sustainable world. He also directs FAME Lab. To learn more about Fame Lab and HEAT-SHIELD, go to http://www.famelab.gr/heatshield/.
ENBEL — Enhancing Belmont Research Action to support EU policy making on climate change and health — is a project funded by the EU’s Horizon2020 program aimed at connecting health and climate change research. Specifically, ENBEL brings together leaders in climate change and health research and coordinates a network of international health and climate research projects under the Belmont Forum’s Collaborative Research Action (CRA) on Climate, Environment and Health (CEH) and EU-funded projects. HEAT-SHIELD is one of the research projects in the ENBEL network. The ENBEL project is coordinated by CICERO Center for International Climate Research in Norway with 16 partner institutions. Visit www.enbel-project.eu to find out more.
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