IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v15y2018i3p401-d133444.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Exploring Heat Stress Relief Measures among the Australian Labour Force

Author

Listed:
  • Kerstin K. Zander

    (Northern Institute, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT 0909, Australia)

  • Supriya Mathew

    (Northern Institute, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT 0909, Australia)

  • Stephen T. Garnett

    (Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT 0909, Australia)

Abstract

Australia experiences frequent heat waves and generally high average temperatures throughout the continent with substantial impacts on human health and the economy. People adapt to heat by adopting various relief measures in their daily lives including changing their behaviour. Many labour intensive outdoor industries implement standards for heat stress management for their workforce. However, little is known about how people cope with heat at their workplaces apart from studies targeting some specific industries where labourers are exposed to extreme heat. Here, we analysed responses from 1719 people in the Australian labour force to self-reported heat stress and associated coping mechanisms. Three quarters of respondents experienced heat stress at their workplace with fatigue and headache being the two most frequently stated symptoms. Almost all of those who were affected by heat would hydrate (88%), 67% would cool, and 44% would rest as a strategy for coping with heat. About 10% intended to change their jobs because of heat stress in the workplace. We found differences in heat relief measures across gender, education, health, level of physical intensity of job, and time spent working outside. People working in jobs that were not very demanding physically were more likely to choose cooling down as a relief measure, while those in labour intensive jobs and jobs that required considerable time outside were more likely to rest. This has potential consequences for their productivity and work schedules. Heat affects work in Australia in many types of industry with impact dependent on workforce acclimatisation, yet public awareness and work relief plans are often limited to outdoor and labour intensive industries. Industries and various levels of government in all sectors need to implement standards for heat management specific to climate zones to help people cope better with high temperatures as well as plan strategies in anticipation of projected temperature increases.

Suggested Citation

  • Kerstin K. Zander & Supriya Mathew & Stephen T. Garnett, 2018. "Exploring Heat Stress Relief Measures among the Australian Labour Force," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-15, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:15:y:2018:i:3:p:401-:d:133444
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/15/3/401/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/15/3/401/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Jill Windle & John Rolfe, 2011. "Comparing Responses from Internet and Paper-Based Collection Methods in more Complex Stated Preference Environmental Valuation Surveys," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 41(1), pages 83-97, March.
    2. Rameez Rameezdeen & Abbas Elmualim, 2017. "The Impact of Heat Waves on Occurrence and Severity of Construction Accidents," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(1), pages 1-13, January.
    3. Julita Gil Cuesta & Joris Adriaan Frank Van Loenhout & Maria Da Conceição Colaço & Debarati Guha-Sapir, 2017. "General Population Knowledge about Extreme Heat: A Cross-Sectional Survey in Lisbon and Madrid," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(2), pages 1-11, January.
    4. Supriya Mathew & Deepika Mathur & Anne B. Chang & Elizabeth McDonald & Gurmeet R. Singh & Darfiana Nur & Rolf Gerritsen, 2017. "Examining the Effects of Ambient Temperature on Pre-Term Birth in Central Australia," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(2), pages 1-13, February.
    5. Simon Gosling & Jason Lowe & Glenn McGregor & Mark Pelling & Bruce Malamud, 2009. "Associations between elevated atmospheric temperature and human mortality: a critical review of the literature," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 92(3), pages 299-341, February.
    6. Kerstin K. Zander & Wouter J. W. Botzen & Elspeth Oppermann & Tord Kjellstrom & Stephen T. Garnett, 2015. "Heat stress causes substantial labour productivity loss in Australia," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 5(7), pages 647-651, July.
    7. Monika Nitschke & Alana Hansen & Peng Bi & Dino Pisaniello & Jonathan Newbury & Alison Kitson & Graeme Tucker & Jodie Avery & Eleonora Dal Grande, 2013. "Risk Factors, Health Effects and Behaviour in Older People during Extreme Heat: A Survey in South Australia," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 10(12), pages 1-13, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Lucia Wuersch & Alain Neher & Frank E. Marino & Larissa Bamberry & Rodney Pope, 2023. "Impacts of Climate Change on Work Health and Safety in Australia: A Scoping Literature Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(21), pages 1-35, October.
    2. Kerstin K. Zander & Jonas Rieskamp & Milad Mirbabaie & Mamoun Alazab & Duy Nguyen, 2023. "Responses to heat waves: what can Twitter data tell us?," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 116(3), pages 3547-3564, April.
    3. Andrew P. Hunt & Matt Brearley & Andrew Hall & Rodney Pope, 2023. "Climate Change Effects on the Predicted Heat Strain and Labour Capacity of Outdoor Workers in Australia," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(9), pages 1-12, April.
    4. Nanda Kaji Budhathoki & Kerstin K. Zander, 2019. "Socio-Economic Impact of and Adaptation to Extreme Heat and Cold of Farmers in the Food Bowl of Nepal," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(9), pages 1-24, May.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Kerstin K. Zander & Stephen Garnett, 2020. "Risk and experience drive the importance of natural hazards for peoples’ mobility decisions," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 162(3), pages 1639-1654, October.
    2. Robert E. Davis & Wendy M. Novicoff, 2018. "The Impact of Heat Waves on Emergency Department Admissions in Charlottesville, Virginia, U.S.A," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(7), pages 1-16, July.
    3. Joaquín Bernal-Ramírez & Jair Ojeda-Joya & Camila Agudelo-Rivera & Felipe Clavijo-Ramírez & Carolina Durana-Ángel & Clark Granger-Castaño & Daniel Osorio-Rodríguez & Daniel Parra-Amado & José Pulido &, 2022. "Impacto macroeconómico del cambio climático en Colombia," Revista ESPE - Ensayos sobre Política Económica, Banco de la Republica de Colombia, issue 102, pages 1-62, July.
    4. Kelvin Balcombe & Michail Bitzios & Iain Fraser & Janet Haddock-Fraser, 2014. "Using Attribute Importance Rankings Within Discrete Choice Experiments: An Application to Valuing Bread Attributes," Journal of Agricultural Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 65(2), pages 446-462, June.
    5. Monika Nitschke & Antoinette Krackowizer & Alana L. Hansen & Peng Bi & Graeme R. Tucker, 2017. "Heat Health Messages: A Randomized Controlled Trial of a Preventative Messages Tool in the Older Population of South Australia," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-10, August.
    6. Xi Chen & Chih Ming Tan & Xiaobo Zhang & Xin Zhang, 2020. "The effects of prenatal exposure to temperature extremes on birth outcomes: the case of China," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 33(4), pages 1263-1302, October.
    7. Zhang, Shaohui & Guo, Qinxin & Smyth, Russell & Yao, Yao, 2022. "Extreme temperatures and residential electricity consumption: Evidence from Chinese households," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 107(C).
    8. Kevin J. Boyle & Mark Morrison & Darla Hatton MacDonald & Roderick Duncan & John Rose, 2016. "Investigating Internet and Mail Implementation of Stated-Preference Surveys While Controlling for Differences in Sample Frames," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 64(3), pages 401-419, July.
    9. Tjaša Pogačar & Zala Žnidaršič & Lučka Kajfež Bogataj & Zalika Črepinšek, 2020. "Steps Towards Comprehensive Heat Communication in the Frame of a Heat Health Warning System in Slovenia," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(16), pages 1-16, August.
    10. Mariano J. Rabassa & Mariana Conte Grand & Christian M. García-Witulski, 2021. "Heat warnings and avoidance behavior: evidence from a bike-sharing system," Environmental Economics and Policy Studies, Springer;Society for Environmental Economics and Policy Studies - SEEPS, vol. 23(1), pages 1-28, January.
    11. Wen Yi & Albert P. C. Chan, 2017. "Effects of Heat Stress on Construction Labor Productivity in Hong Kong: A Case Study of Rebar Workers," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-14, September.
    12. Juliane Kemen & Silvia Schäffer-Gemein & Johanna Grünewald & Thomas Kistemann, 2021. "Heat Perception and Coping Strategies: A Structured Interview-Based Study of Elderly People in Cologne, Germany," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(14), pages 1-19, July.
    13. Chèze, Benoît & David, Maia & Martinet, Vincent, 2020. "Understanding farmers' reluctance to reduce pesticide use: A choice experiment," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 167(C).
    14. Letian Li & Boyang Sun & Zhuqiang Hu & Jun Zhang & Song Gao & Haifeng Bian & Jiansong Wu, 2022. "Heat Strain Evaluation of Power Grid Outdoor Workers Based on a Human Bioheat Model," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(13), pages 1-17, June.
    15. Tobias Börger, 2016. "Are Fast Responses More Random? Testing the Effect of Response Time on Scale in an Online Choice Experiment," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 65(2), pages 389-413, October.
    16. Aleš Urban & Katrin Burkart & Jan Kyselý & Christian Schuster & Eva Plavcová & Hana Hanzlíková & Petr Štěpánek & Tobia Lakes, 2016. "Spatial Patterns of Heat-Related Cardiovascular Mortality in the Czech Republic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-19, March.
    17. Kiriaki M. Keramitsoglou & Katja Lozar Manfreda & Charalampia Anastasiou & Knut Kalgraff Skjak & Konstantinos P. Tsagarakis, 2018. "Mode comparison study on willingness to buy and willingness to pay for organic foods: paper-and-pencil versus computerized questionnaire," Electronic Commerce Research, Springer, vol. 18(3), pages 587-603, September.
    18. Yajie Du & Ming Jing & Chunyu Lu & Jingru Zong & Lingli Wang & Qing Wang, 2022. "Global Population Exposure to Extreme Temperatures and Disease Burden," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(20), pages 1-12, October.
    19. Lindhjem, Henrik & Navrud, Ståle, 2011. "Using Internet in Stated Preference Surveys: A Review and Comparison of Survey Modes," International Review of Environmental and Resource Economics, now publishers, vol. 5(4), pages 309-351, September.
    20. Daghagh Yazd, Sahar & Wheeler, Sarah Ann & Zuo, Alec, 2020. "Understanding the impacts of water scarcity and socio-economic demographics on farmer mental health in the Murray-Darling Basin," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 169(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:15:y:2018:i:3:p:401-:d:133444. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.