Image Credit: Getty Images / Natalya Kosarevich

In 2020, the AIHA Board of Directors approved a project to develop “grand challenges” for the occupational and environmental health and safety profession. Many other professions, from mathematics to social work, have identified their own grand challenges: ambitious but achievable goals intended to address significant problems. The volunteers leading AIHA’s project selected other criteria to ensure that our grand challenges remained both aspirational and practical—for example, by stipulating that progress toward solutions should be likely within five to ten years.

From a survey of members conducted in November 2021, we identified these grand challenges for OEHS:

• improve exposure assessment in the workplace
• improve equity in workplaces, minimize precarious work situations, and protect vulnerable workers
• address the impacts of a changing work environment
• mitigate the impacts of climate change on workers

Next, our grand challenges leadership team recruited volunteers to develop “concept papers” that analyze the problem; identify preventive actions, potential outcomes, and metrics for measuring progress; describe research strategies; and suggest future directions in research, education, practice, and policy. The first of these papers was recently posted to the AIHA website (Mitigating the Impacts of a Changing Climate on Workers, PDF). The others are scheduled for release later this year.

The climate change paper thoroughly summarizes problems observed in the scientific literature, such as the increased frequency, severity, and duration of extreme heat; intensified severe weather; longer, more intense wildfire seasons; and increased exposure to ultraviolet radiation. The paper is full of compelling observations, such as:

• Between 1970 and 2019, there was a fivefold increase in the number of weather disasters, according to the World Meteorological Organization.
• The International Labour Organization estimates that excessive heat causes 22.85 million occupational injuries and 18,970 occupational fatalities each year.
• Climate change has set off an insidious loop whereby attempts to mitigate the problem introduce new hazards. For example, photovoltaic solar panels help decrease reliance on the fossil fuel energy that accelerates climate change, but the panels can’t be deenergized, which presents electrical hazards to emergency responders.
• Psychosocial issues are an underappreciated consequence of climate change. Losses of land, homes, and crops to weather events increase the risk of mental and behavioral health problems. Increases in stress are expected for workers directly affected by climate change. For example, research has established that wildland firefighters have higher risks for unhealthy coping behaviors.

The paper sets the stage for progress by identifying next steps for the OEHS profession, including data collection within the industries most affected by climate change, the development of guidance documents and regulations, and efforts to raise awareness of the direct and indirect occupational impacts of climate change. But to take those next steps, we need help.

Each of AIHA’s four grand challenges requires collaboration. What’s needed now are suggestions for partnership opportunities. If you know of an organization or entity that can help AIHA make progress toward solutions, please share your feedback in the comments below or by submitting the form on the Grand Challenges webpage.

We are also looking for volunteers, specifically mid- and early-career professionals, who would like to play a leadership role in advancing this important initiative. Teams are forming now for each of the grand challenges. If you are interested, please email me directly.