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‘Zonked the hell out’: Climate change and heat stress at work

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  • Elizabeth Humphrys
  • James Goodman
  • Freya Newman

Abstract

Climate change is most directly felt by people who cannot escape its impacts, including workers whose source of livelihood may put them directly at risk from high heat. Research on these impacts for Australian workers, especially the sociopolitical determinants of effective workplace heat management, remains limited. This article presents findings from a national research project that investigated these issues in collaboration with the Australia-based United Workers Union. It reports on the experiences of members exposed to high heat, explores how they address heat stress and how they relate this to climate change. The article expands understanding of the impacts of workplace heat, especially for indoor workers and those in lower paid jobs, through a focus on how workers articulate their experiences and understand and exercise their agency at work. JEL codes: Q54, J28

Suggested Citation

  • Elizabeth Humphrys & James Goodman & Freya Newman, 2022. "‘Zonked the hell out’: Climate change and heat stress at work," The Economic and Labour Relations Review, , vol. 33(2), pages 256-271, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:ecolab:v:33:y:2022:i:2:p:256-271
    DOI: 10.1177/10353046221092414
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Park, R. Jisung & Pankratz, Nora & Behrer, A. Patrick, 2021. "Temperature, Workplace Safety, and Labor Market Inequality," IZA Discussion Papers 14560, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    2. A. M. Vicedo-Cabrera & N. Scovronick & F. Sera & D. Royé & R. Schneider & A. Tobias & C. Astrom & Y. Guo & Y. Honda & D. M. Hondula & R. Abrutzky & S. Tong & M. de Sousa Zanotti Stagliorio Coelho & P., 2021. "The burden of heat-related mortality attributable to recent human-induced climate change," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 11(6), pages 492-500, June.
    3. Ed Day & Sam Fankhauser & Nick Kingsmill & Hélia Costa & Anna Mavrogianni, 2019. "Upholding labour productivity under climate change: an assessment of adaptation options," Climate Policy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 19(3), pages 367-385, March.
    4. Elling, Ray H., 1989. "The political economy of workers' health and safety," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 28(11), pages 1171-1182, January.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Climate change; heat stress; unions; workplace health and safety;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • Q54 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Climate; Natural Disasters and their Management; Global Warming
    • J28 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Safety; Job Satisfaction; Related Public Policy

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