Project 465737

Occupational heat stress directly threatens workers' ability to live healthy and productive lives. The heat stress guidance provided to Canadian workplaces currently prescribes a one-size-fits-all approach, leading to a vast under-protection of Canada's diverse workforce. Despite significant advancements in our understanding of the human heat stress response from research centres like the Human and Environmental Physiology Research Unit, occupational heat management guidance has failed to progress. Therefore, dedicated knowledge mobilization is needed. The Climate Change and Innovation Bureau (CCIB) division within Health Canada is directly concerned with climate change and provides national leadership in the development of heat-relevant materials to educate and prepare Canadian industry and communities prepare for climate change. Thus, in partnership with the CCIB, this project aims to advance equitable heat mitigation strategies to create heat resilient workers. To achieve this goal, this project seeks to pursue the following objectives: (I) synthesize the existing practice-changing research on heat stress, ensuring the inclusion of equitable evidence protective of Canada's diverse workforce; (II) develop a framework for occupational heat management that can be adapted to Canada's indoor and outdoor workplaces and advance evidence-based decision tools to improve operational efficiency during hot weather; and (III) create an accessible resource platform on occupational heat stress specifically tailored to industry-based knowledge users. Providing advice on strategies for adapting to rising global temperatures that will provide the highest level of protection to mitigate the detrimental health effects of heat stress on Canadian workers will, directly and indirectly, reduce health care costs.