Ensuring Safety and Health at Work in a Changing Climate

Climate change isn’t just reshaping the environment – it’s changing how we live and work. Rising global temperatures, extreme weather, new regulations, and shifting industry pressures all have an impact. It’s not only the planet that’s affected – it’s people too, and that means ensuring safety and health at work in a changing climate.

For health, safety, sustainability, and wellbeing professionals, this means adapting to new challenges. Hotter summers can increase the risk of heat exhaustion on site. Poor air quality can worsen respiratory conditions, while flooding and supply chain disruptions can put both physical safety and mental wellbeing at risk. In climate-affected industries, job insecurity is also contributing to increased stress and anxiety.

These changes aren’t theoretical – they’re already happening, and they make health and safety more important, and more complex, than ever.

In this article, we explore what climate change means for health and safety today: how it’s affecting workplace risks, employee wellbeing, the role of the health, safety, sustainability, and wellbeing sector, and the skills professionals will need to stay resilient in an evolving world.

Climate change is already making it harder to keep workplaces safe. Heavy rain, storms, and extreme weather can make surfaces slippery. They can also cause unstable structures and poor visibility. This is especially true in construction and outdoor areas.

Severe weather also causes damage to key infrastructure, including buildings, roads, and overhead cables. When this happens, it puts people in danger, disrupts essential services, and makes it harder to respond quickly in an emergency. Earlier this year, the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) warned that UK fire and rescue services are underprepared for the rise in climate-induced emergencies. While the number of workplace fires has fallen in the past decade, the broader risks from extreme weather continue to rise.

Climate-related events can delay deliveries, slow down projects, and increase pressure on employees to meet deadlines. In these situations, it is easy to overlook safety procedures while trying to keep things moving.

Health, safety, sustainability, and wellbeing professionals have a key role to play in helping organisations stay prepared. Regularly updating safety plans to reflect growing climate risks is key to protecting people and keeping operations running smoothly.

The physical and mental health of workers is increasingly affected by climate change.

The UK is seeing more frequent and intense heatwaves. People working outdoors or in physically demanding roles are especially at risk of heat exhaustion, dehydration, and heatstroke. Employers can mitigate heat risks by offering water, regular breaks, and appropriate clothing for staff. They should also update risk assessments to include extreme weather scenarios and train workers to spot early signs of heat or cold stress.

Additionally, wearing PPE in hot conditions can lead to an increased risk of heat stress, which is particularly concerning where it’s essential for protection. Using PPE that minimises heat retention and implementing systems to cool work environments can help – such as ventilation and climate controls.  Excess heat can also impact machinery performance – equipment can overheat, be less efficient and suffer more wear and tear. Regular maintenance and heat monitoring of machinery is vital to keep operations safe and reliable.

Higher temperatures lead to more pollution in the air, including higher levels of ozone and tiny particles that are harmful to breathe in. This can make breathing problems worse and puts people with existing health conditions at even greater risk. Southeast and East England are increasingly prone to summer wildfires. Employers should monitor air quality, especially during wildfire or pollution events, and ensure employees are equipped to respond. 

The threat of climate-related events, such as floods, raising the risk of slips, trips, structure failures (sinkholes, subsidence), strong storms and winds (creating risk of falling trees, scaffold and crane hazards and power line damage), along with job insecurity in climate-affected industries, contributes to heightened physical and health risk and the potential of stress and anxiety among workers.  

Addressing these issues requires a holistic approach. This includes integrated physical and mental health measures, effective environmental controls, and developing clear business continuity plans that incorporate extreme weather disruptions. 

Because of the evolving climate landscape, there are significant changes happening within the health, safety, sustainability, and wellbeing sector.

As industries transition towards renewable energy and sustainable practices, workers are exposed to new environments and associated risks. For example, offshore wind farms present unique safety challenges that differ from traditional energy sectors. While global investment in offshore wind farms increased significantly in 2023, this was accompanied by a 94% year-on-year rise in safety incidents and a 39% increase in hours worked.

These changes aren’t exclusive to the green sector, climate impacts are being felt across every industry, from agriculture and logistics to construction and manufacturing. Many sectors also face new regulations and growing pressure to operate more sustainably.   

The increased frequency of climate-related incidents leads to higher insurance premiums and operational costs. Organisations may need to invest more in safety infrastructure and training to mitigate these expenses.

Health, safety, sustainability, and wellbeing professionals must acquire new skills to address emerging risks associated with climate change. This includes understanding environmental regulations, sustainability practices, and the integration of modern technologies into safety protocols.

Adapting to these changes is crucial for the health, safety, sustainability, and wellbeing sector to effectively manage the evolving risks posed by climate change.

The transition to a greener economy also presents an opportunity for health, safety, sustainability, and wellbeing professionals to upskill and stay ahead of emerging challenges.

Understanding sustainability and climate change is essential, particularly in the context of the UK's commitment to achieving Net Zero emissions by 2050. health, safety, sustainability, and wellbeing professionals play a pivotal role in guiding organisations through this transition, helping teams adopt sustainable practices while staying aligned with environmental regulations.

As new compliance and reporting requirements are emerging, organisations are expected to incorporate climate-related risks into their HSE policies. This includes adherence to Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) reporting standards, which necessitate a comprehensive understanding of sustainability issues.

To support this upskilling, the British Safety Council offers a range of courses, including the IEMA Net Zero course, designed to equip health, safety, sustainability, and wellbeing professionals with the knowledge and skills needed to navigate the complexities of climate change and sustainability in the workplace.

Climate change is reshaping the landscape of workplace health and safety. By understanding the impacts on physical safety, employee wellbeing, and the broader health, safety, sustainability, and wellbeing sector, professionals can develop strategies to mitigate these challenges effectively.

While the risks are clear, this period of change also provides new opportunities. With the right skills, health, safety, sustainability, and wellbeing professionals can lead the way – helping organisations stay compliant while creating safer, more sustainable, and supportive places to work.

Health, safety, sustainability, and wellbeing professionals should understand Net Zero, not to become climate scientists, but to ensure their practices are aligned with rapidly changing infrastructure, technologies, and expectations.

This is a chance to shape a positive future where safety, wellbeing, and sustainability go hand in hand. With ongoing learning and collaboration, health, safety, sustainability, and wellbeing professionals can make that future a reality. If you’re looking to build on your knowledge, British Safety Council’s IEMA training courses provide a helpful starting point.