(Construction) - A sharp increase in the number of deaths and injuries due to heat stroke at construction sites and other workplaces was reported this summer which saw a record-breaking heat wave.
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| Record number of fatalities and injury from heat stroke at workplace (illustration photo) |
According to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, the number of fatalities and injuries due to heat stroke from January to July was 252, including 13 fatalities, the highest number in the past five years. The rainy season ended unusually early in late June in many parts of Japan, and the heat wave began when the body had not yet acclimated to the heat. As a result, both the number of casualties (118) and fatalities (5) in the single month of June were the highest in the past five years.
As August usually sees the highest number of fatalities and injuries, the health ministry is calling for thorough measures to prevent heat stroke in the workplace. The ministry and relevant organizations in various industries have been conducting the campaign to strengthen measures to prevent heat stroke at workplaces and other places from May to September every year. During this period, businesses are required to monitor WBGT, the heat stress index at their workplaces and establish a contact system in case of an emergency. MHLW has designated July as the "priority period," during which additional measures to reduce WBGT and the consumption of water and salt in the workplace will be thoroughly implemented. (2022/08/22)
The Daily Engineering and Construction News of Japan
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