Health

While their role in providing services in response to climatic events is well documented, the impacts on themselves as workers, is not. These impacts then cascade to the individuals and communities they serve.

Climate Impacts on Health and Community Services Work

Previous research has documented the direct, bodily effects of a single aspect of climate change (heat) on workers in industry sectors who do physical work and are predominantly outdoors.

While rising heat is important as both a long-term trend and increasingly extreme periodic condition in the form of heatwaves, and the impact on physical and outdoor work is obvious, this does not represent the extent of climate change impacts on work.

Earlier survey-based research by members of the CCAL provides evidence that other workers are exposed to far wider range of impacts than previously documented. This project extends this research by interviewing workers from a vital sector within communities, health and community services, to understand how their work is becoming more difficult to perform due to climate impacts.