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Occupational Health & Climate Change Impacts

Social Justice & Development

  • PYQs4
  • Articles1
I

Background

UPSC often focuses on the welfare of vulnerable worker groups, occupational safety, and the socio-economic impacts of climate change. This concept combines these elements, highlighting a critical, often overlooked, dimension of climate vulnerability and the need for targeted policy interventions.

Occupational health deals with the physical, mental, and social well-being of workers in all occupations. Climate change introduces new and exacerbates existing occupational hazards, particularly for outdoor workers and those in informal sectors, leading to health risks like heat stress, dehydration, and related illnesses.

II

Facts & tables

Increased Exposure
Outdoor workers (e.g., sanitation workers) face increased and routine exposure to extreme heat due to climate change.
Health Risks
Heat stress leads to severe health issues including dehydration, exhaustion, kidney-related illnesses, and cardiovascular complications.
Vulnerability of Informal Workers
Informal workers often lack adequate occupational protections, social security, and accessible healthcare services.
Policy Integration
Integration of climate considerations into occupational health policies, including heat action plans, is crucial for worker protection.
Static syllabus anchors
Type Reference
Conceptual area Labour Welfare
Conceptual area Public Health
Conceptual area Climate Change Impacts
III

Prelims angle

Prelims angle: Multi-statement analysis

Prelims angle: Factual recall

  • Climate change intensifies occupational hazards, especially for outdoor workers.
  • Heat stress causes severe health issues and productivity loss.
  • Informal workers often lack protections and accessible healthcare.
  • Need for climate-integrated occupational health policies (e.g., heat action plans).
  • Strengthening primary healthcare for climate-sensitive conditions is vital.
High-confidence PYQ links
Year Framing tags
2021 Multi-statement analysis, Factual recall
2020 Multi-statement analysis, Factual recall
2017 Factual recall, Multi-statement analysis
2016 Multi-statement analysis, Factual recall

Timeline

  1. Labour Welfare

    Conceptual area

  2. Public Health

    Conceptual area

  3. Climate Change Impacts

    Conceptual area

  4. Prelims 2016

    Multi-statement analysis, Factual recall

  5. Prelims 2017

    Factual recall, Multi-statement analysis

  6. Prelims 2020

    Multi-statement analysis, Factual recall

  7. Prelims 2021

    Multi-statement analysis, Factual recall

  8. Need for inclusive, integrated climate action

    Examines how climate change, particularly extreme heat, poses significant occupational health risks to informal and outdoor workers, necessitating policy integration, worker protections (e.g., shaded rest areas, modified schedules), and accessible healthcare services.

See also

Occupational Health & Climate Change Impacts
Inclusive Urban Planning & Climate Resilience

Past papers

In the news

thehindu.com

Need for inclusive, integrated climate action

Examines how climate change, particularly extreme heat, poses significant occupational health risks to informal and outdoor workers, necessitating policy integration, worker protections (e.g., shaded rest areas, modified schedules), and accessible healthcare services.

Try these PYQs

UPSC Prelims 2020 easy International Relations Open full page

Consider the following pairs

| International Agreement | Set-up Subject |
|--------------------------|----------------------------|
| 1. Alma-Ata Declaration | Healthcare of the people |
| 2. Hague Convention | Biological and chemical weapons |
| 3. Talanoa Dialogue | Global climate change |
| 4. Under2 Coalition | Child rights |

Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?

UPSC Prelims 2021 medium Social Issues & Schemes Open full page

With reference to the casual workers employed in India, consider the following statements:
1. All casual workers are entitled for Employees Provident Fund coverage.
2. All casual workers are entitled for regular working hours and overtime payment.
3. The government can by a notification specify that an establishment or industry shall pay wages only through its bank account.

Which of the above statements are correct?

UPSC Prelims 2017 hard Modern History Open full page

Consider the following statements:

1. The Factories Act, 1881 was passed with a view to fix the wages of industrial workers and to allow the workers to form trade unions.
2. N.M. Lokhande was a pioneer in organizing the labour movement in British India.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

UPSC Prelims 2016 medium Social Issues & Schemes Open full page

Regarding ‘Atal Pension Yojana’, which of the following statements is/are correct?

1. It is a minimum guaranteed pension scheme mainly targeted at unorganized sector workers
2. Only one member of a family can join the scheme
3. Some amount of pension is guaranteed for the spouse for life after the subscriber’s death.

Select the correct answer using the code given below: