Pop-Up 2G: Cooking With Climate Change

Greater Columbus Convention Center 

Climate change – a ubiquitous threat to human health and well-being – influences both the severity and frequency of existing hazards and creates new health hazards where they may not have existed before. From hazards associated with extreme weather events to increased air pollution resulting from more frequent wildfires, employers with outdoor workforces are no stranger to the risks that climate change poses to both their workforce's health and to business resilience. With average surface temperatures on the rise, the threat that increased temperatures present to outdoor worker health and safety has become increasingly apparent, reflected in the actions of state and federal organizations. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health published revisions to their Criteria for a Recommended Standard related to occupational exposure to heat and hot environments in February 2016. In 2005, California was the first state to approve a permanent heat illness prevention standard, intended to protect outdoor workers from heat-related illness and death, with Colorado, Oregon, and Washington following suit. More recently, some states have enacted or discussed regulations to protect indoor workers from heat-related hazards, including Minnesota, Oregon, and soon California.
Food service workers are poised to be impacted by increased risks for both outdoor and indoor heat-related hazards, as high temperatures experienced in kitchens and food preparation spaces are likely to be exacerbated by increased outdoor temperatures. Understanding and contextualizing trends in heat exposure among these workers is imperative to preparing for the potential impacts extreme temperatures may have on business resilience. A recent study of heat stress risk among New York City public school kitchen workers found a mean, wet bulb globe temperature of 77.0 °F, with 80% of schools exceeding the action limit for heavy work scenarios (Ierardi and Pavilonis, 2020). Additionally, an unpublished study conducted by Stantec in 2018 found that during summer months, temperatures in food truck work areas averaged 91.4 °F (dry temperature), ranging from 86.6 °F to 97.0 °F in area samples collected on the truck.
Characterizing and anticipating potential risks for heat-related illnesses becomes of greater importance as climate change realities set in. Businesses that utilize food service in their value chain should be cognizant of the human health risks posed to these workers. Additionally, organizations should consider required expenditures to implement appropriate controls, like increased air conditioning and establishment of cooling centers. As temperatures consistently rise, one way that organizations have begun to respond is through their consideration of climate risks in their environmental, social, and governance (ESG) programming. Comprehensive ESG programs that consider the potential impacts of climate change on worker health are key to ensuring business resilience.

This session is not available for contact hours.

Upon completion, the participant will be able to identify how human health risks may be exacerbated by climate-change related impacts and how these risks may impact OEHS programmatic decisions. 

Intermediate

Also part of the Virtual Program

Available as part of AIHA CONNECT OnDemand

Climate Change Hazards and Risks

Human Capital/ESG