Evaluation of the impact of heat stress on the occurrence of occupational injuries: Meta-analysis of observational studies

Abstract

Background: Growing evidence indicates that the exposure to high heat levels in the workplace results in health problems in workers. A meta-analysis was carried out to summarize the epidemiological evidence of the effects of heat exposure on the risk of occupational injuries.

Methods: A search strategy was conducted to retrieve studies on the effects of climate change on occupational injury risk. Among the 406 identified, 5 time-series and 3 case-crossover studies were selected for meta-analysis.

Results: Pooled risk estimates for time-series and case-crossover studies combined, and then separated, were 1.005 (95%CI: 1.001-1009), 1.002 (95%CI: 0.998-1.005), and 1.014 (95%CI: 1.012-1.017), respectively. Subgroup analyses found increased risks (not statistically significant) for male gender, age <25 years and agriculture.

Conclusions: The present findings can orient further research to assess the effects of heat at workplace and consequently to establish better health policies for managing such exposure in at-risk regions.

Keywords: climate change; global warming; heat wave; occupational injury; temperature.