A scoping review links heat and extreme weather to distress, injuries, illness, and reduced work output.

Climate change is associated with worse mental health, more physical harm, and reduced productivity for outdoor workers. A scoping review of 62 studies found recurring links between heat and extreme weather and anxiety, stress, fatigue, injuries, and heat-related illnesses, alongside reduced productivity. The journal article The impacts of climate change on occupational health and work among outdoor workers: A scoping review argues that targeted interventions are still limited despite growing evidence.

Quick summary

• What the study found: Across included studies, climate-linked heat and extreme weather were associated with psychological distress, physical health risks (including heat-related illness and injuries), and reduced productivity.
• Why it matters: These impacts can compound: heat strain can raise injury risk and fatigue, while productivity pressure can intensify stress and discourage self-protection.
• What to be careful about: This was a scoping review that mapped evidence and themes; it does not establish one pooled effect size, and interventions and long-term outcomes were noted as underdeveloped.

What was found

The review screened 5,251 titles and abstracts and included 62 studies after full-text review. Included studies covered 26 countries and used quantitative, qualitative, mixed-methods, and one quasi-experimental design.

Three themes emerged: climate change and mental health, climate change and physical health, and climate change and work. Fourteen studies discussed mental health outcomes, 56 physical health outcomes, and 33 work-related outcomes.

Mental health signals included anxiety, depression and related symptoms, and stress. Reported drivers included extreme weather, drought, and heat exposure, plus workplace pressures to maintain output despite unsafe conditions.

What it means

Heat does not only feel uncomfortable; it can degrade attention, coordination, and decision-making, which helps explain the repeated link with injuries. The review also describes fatigue symptoms such as headaches, increased heart rate, shaky limbs, and dehydration.

When supervisors pressure workers to “push through,” the risk is both physical and psychological. The review notes that younger workers may have difficulty asserting safety needs, which can reduce autonomy and confidence and add stress.

Where it fits

These patterns align with established occupational health models: higher demands with limited control tend to increase strain. Add heat exposure, and the body’s stress response can intensify irritability, worry, and reduced cognitive performance.

Heat-related illness is an umbrella term for conditions caused by overheating, ranging from heat exhaustion to heat stroke. The review also highlights chronic dehydration as a recurring risk with higher temperatures.

How to use it

Employers can treat heat as a safety hazard, not a comfort issue. The review describes recommendations such as emphasizing nutrition, self-pacing, and more frequent breaks, and notes gaps like limited access to air conditioning.

Supervisors matter: productivity targets should not punish self-protection. Explicit permission to slow down, pause, and hydrate can reduce the stress created by fear of reprimand.

Workers can watch for early heat strain signs—headache, unusual fatigue, dizziness, shakiness—and respond quickly with rest and hydration. Where possible, teams can rotate tasks to reduce prolonged exposure.

Limits & what we still don’t know

The review synthesizes themes across diverse designs, exposures, and outcomes rather than producing a single estimate of risk. Some findings are described as associations, and details vary across settings and industries.

The authors emphasize that targeted interventions remain limited. They call for future work on long-term health consequences, standardized alleviation strategies, and protective workplace policies.

Closing takeaway

Across 62 studies, climate-linked heat and extreme weather repeatedly coincide with distress, illness, injury, and reduced productivity among outdoor workers. The practical message is straightforward: reducing heat exposure and reducing productivity pressure are both safety interventions.

Data in this article is provided by PLOS.

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