2.O. Workshop: Climate change and the impact on public and occupational health

Abstract

Objectives Climate change has an impact on people’s physical, mental, and community health. This impact can arise directly and indirectly. Some natural disasters are exacerbated by climate change, like floods, heat waves, storms, wildfires, and landslides. Some effects occur more gradually for example from changing temperatures. Heat waves can weaken the infrastructure (transport, construction) and make food systems less secure (infections, less access). But heat waves can also directly cause severe health effects. Heat waves are examples of direct and indirect climate impacts on society’s physical and mental health. Climate change creates visible impacts in many countries. The number of heat waves increased across the globe the last few decades. This change has an impact on communities’ health both in private life settings as in occupational settings. There is an overlap of impact which influences the effects seen in both settings. The awareness of this overlap is not clear for most stakeholders. Health advisories before, during and after heat waves do not consider this issues in their health promotion activities. This workshop aims at describing different ways how public health could benefit of a more integrative approach of health promotion by linking messages directed at the general public and the occupational work force. Therefore, examples on national as well as regional and local level are presented discussed with specific emphasis on requirements and processes for success on one hand and obstacles on the other. The examples reflect different European regions and country heat waves plans as well as results from the EU-funded projects HEATSHIELD and SCORCH. Key messages Heat will be an increasing issue in public health. Health advisories need to be improved during periods of heat.