On April 28th, International Workers Memorial Day this year as we remember all those who have died because of work (1) workers across the UK will also be campaigning on how the climate crisis is making their work unsafe and unhealthy putting lives and livelihoods in jeopardy. A climate crisis that is doubly impacting on workers lives by creating suffocating and deadly air.
In the UK more than 40,000 people a year will die as a result of air pollution. And it’s not just about traffic fumes but workers are exposed to toxic indoor air as well. The guide provides workers with concrete actions they can take to work with their employers to reduce the air pollution they are exposed to.(2)
“No-one should be exposed to polluted air, be injured, develop occupational diseases or die because of work. The vast majority of these are foreseeable and preventable. Workplace harm is a blight on our society and for our families and loved ones.”
The Hazards Campaign calls for more urgent action to ensure that workers are not exposed to unsafe and polluted air inside and outside the workplace. (3)
The Workers Guide provides detailed information on what employers should be doing to prevent exposure to polluted air, how ventilation and air filtration can be improved, practical actions which show what workers are being exposed to, and finally what actions workers can take to clean the air and reduce pollution at work.
‘ We make the invisible visible through air monitoring and then put in place solutions to reduce pollutants and clean the air. This is a win win situation because, healthier workers have reduced sickness and absence, there is less disruption to services and production and it helps towards achieving net zero carbon targets.’
For more information Please see:
- https://www.hazardscampaign.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/The-Whole-story-2024.pdf
- https://greenerjobsalliance.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Workers-Guide-to-action-on-indoor-workplace-air-pollution-WEBSITE.pdf
- https://www.hazards.org/climate/badclimate.htm
- https://gmhazards.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/International-Workers-Memorial-Day-general-circular-2024.pdf
www.hazardscampaign.org.uk