Deloitte has recognised heat stress as a top concern of climate change as it sets to impact workers’ health, safety and ability to perform tasks.
Heat exposure could bring serious health consequences that include heat stroke, and at lower levels of heat, diminished mental task ability and high risk of accident, according to the Deloitte Access Economics report for November.
Heat stroke is a condition body temperature exceeds 39 degrees Celsius.
“There is only so much heat stress the body can take,” Deloitte stated in the report while outlining the potential impact of inaction or misaction to climate change by industries.
It reveals that the Australian industries hardest hit by the pandemic are also the most vulnerable to the effects of a warming world and climate change.
They include Australia’s mining, agriculture, construction, manufacturing and tourism related sectors, which feature consistently in the top industries exposed to the risks of COVID-19, climate change and unplanned economic transition.
Fifteen per cent of the Australian workforce make up the emission intensive sectors such as mining and quarrying, manufacturing and waste services, according to Deloitte.
Meanwhile, coal mining belongs to the 4 per cent of all Australian jobs that are classified as extremely intensive, indicating its highest exposure to disruption and a failure to plan when it comes to climate change.