Climate change is affecting how we live and work. With rising global temperatures, unpredictable weather, and shifting industry pressures altering the risks people face on the job, what used to be “once in a decade” heatwaves, floods, or storms are becoming regular challenges. For workers, this can mean more slips, trips, falls, heat stress, respiratory problems, and even mental strain linked to uncertainty and disruption.
Health and safety professionals are at the frontline of this change. Traditional risks are being amplified: hotter summers increase dehydration and fatigue; poor air quality worsens respiratory issues; extreme rainfall undermines structures and equipment.
On top of the physical dangers, supply chain breakdowns, service disruptions, and job insecurity can drive stress and anxiety. Safety management needs to go further than just preventing accidents by helping organisations adapt and stay resilient in a world where climate volatility is the new normal.
To understand how these issues play out in practice, in this article we will look at some of the sectors most affected by climate change and explore the specific ways in which their safety challenges are evolving.
Agriculture and food production
Outdoor work is especially exposed to the effects of climate change. Droughts, heatwaves and heavy rainfall reduce harvests, damage equipment and increase risks for farmworkers. Sun exposure raises the likelihood of heat stress, dehydration and long-term skin damage, while flooded fields create slipping hazards and instability for machinery.
Ways to address some of these challenges:
- Scheduling work for cooler parts of the day
- Providing shade and hydration points
- Training staff to recognise signs of heat stress early
- Using smart tech to monitor soil and weather conditions
Warehousing and logistics
Warehouses and transport hubs are also vulnerable. Older, poorly ventilated buildings can trap heat, and extreme weather can disrupt supply chains, putting extra pressure on workers and raising accident risks. Flooding or ice around loading bays increases hazards for both people and vehicles.
Ways to address some of these challenges:
- Retrofitting buildings with cooling and ventilation
- Planning shifts around climate pressures
- Building in resilience to supply chain delays
- Improving drainage and anti-slip surfaces in vulnerable areas
Renewable energy
Renewable energy plays a central role in decarbonisation but also brings new safety challenges. Offshore wind crews face severe storms and dangerous sea conditions, while solar farm staff encounter high UV exposure and electrical hazards during heatwaves. Emerging technologies create risks that maintenance teams may not yet be familiar with.
Ways to address some of these challenges:
- Mandatory weather monitoring with clear “stop work” criteria
- UV-protective, breathable clothing
- Risk assessments tailored to new technology
- Specialist training for emergency rescue and confined space entry
Outdoor events and entertainment
Festivals, sporting events and film productions are increasingly exposed to unpredictable weather. Temporary structures are vulnerable to high winds, while hot, crowded venues put both staff and audiences at risk of dehydration and other health issues.
Ways to address some of these challenges:
- Dynamic risk assessments with live weather data
- Stronger contingency plans for evacuation
- Shade, water points and mobile first aid
- Reinforced temporary structures with routine inspections
Emergency services and local authorities
First responders are dealing with heavier workloads during floods, wildfires and heatwaves. Extended deployments increase fatigue and heat stress. Meanwhile, councils must maintain services such as waste collection and public transport even during disruptive conditions.
Ways to address some of these challenges:
- Upgraded PPE such as cooling vests and smoke respirators
- Fatigue management and structured rest breaks
- Weatherproofing depots and vehicle fleets
- Embedding resilience planning into service continuity
Tech and data centres
Data centres are sensitive to rising ambient temperatures and more frequent storms. Cooling systems are at risk of overload, while outages and water ingress threaten operations.
Ways to address some of these challenges:
- Adaptive cooling and backup systems
- Flood barriers and humidity control
- Real-time environmental monitoring to detect risks early
Waste management and recycling
High indoor temperatures, combined with floods or strong winds spreading hazardous materials, create significant safety concerns for waste and recycling staff.
Ways to address some of these challenges:
- Reviewing waste storage protocols
- Mechanical handling systems to cut down time spent in heat
- Standard operating procedures for extreme weather events
Retail and hospitality
Heatwaves affect both staff comfort and customer experience, especially in venues without modern cooling. Outdoor dining or service areas add new risks during storms or strong winds.
Ways to address some of these challenges:
- Passive cooling design, such as awnings or reflective interiors
- Seasonal shift planning to reduce heat exposure
- Staff training to manage health risks and customer behaviour in extreme conditions
Addressing common challenges across the industries
Across all sectors, some common approaches stand out:
- eliminating or substituting high-risk work periods and tasks
- engineering controls such as flood barriers, climate-proof buildings and weather-resistant equipment
- administrative controls like climate-aware risk assessments, updated emergency policies, and seasonal drills
- PPE as the final safeguard, with lightweight, breathable and UV-resistant clothing or respiratory protection when air quality is poor
Professional Development
To keep pace with these changes, safety professionals will need to expand their skills. Training in environmental risk assessment, climate adaptation planning, and sustainable safety management is becoming essential. Courses such as the ISEP Net Zero Course from the British Safety Council, alongside CPD-accredited training in resilience and wellbeing strategies, can prepare practitioners for the evolving demands of a climate-challenged workplace.
The role of digital tools
Digital health and safety solutions can play a powerful role in helping organisations adapt to the risks posed by climate change. By using real-time data, predictive insights, and connected platforms, businesses can anticipate hazards, protect workers, and maintain resilience when conditions shift suddenly.
Some of the key ways digital tools can help include:
- Real-time monitoring of heat, air quality, and noise levels to detect unsafe conditions early
- Wearable technology that tracks worker wellbeing, including hydration, heart rate, and fatigue
- Predictive analytics that combine weather and environmental data to anticipate hazards such as storms or heatwaves
- Digital training platforms that keep staff updated on climate-specific risks and emergency protocols
- Cloud-based risk assessments and reporting to ensure compliance and share lessons quickly across sites
- Remote monitoring and automation that reduce the need for workers to be exposed in hazardous conditions
Keeping people safe and well at work is our passion.
Our flagship Health and Safety software, AssessNET is used by organisations across the UK and globally to reduce risk by streamlining compliance processes, gathering better safety data and providing total visibility on the performance of risk management initiatives at a strategic level.
