Workers face 'epidemic of heat-related injuries' due to climate change

Major UN report warns heat stress suffered by factory and field workers will devastate health and reduce productivity

Workers in fields and factories face an epidemic of heat-related injuries that will devastate their health, income and productivity as climate change takes hold, a major UN report has warned.

Productivity losses alone could rise above $2tn by 2030, as outdoor employees in many regions slow their pace, take longer breaks and shift their work to cooler dusk and dawn hours.