As the climate crisis worsens, the risk to workers’ health is increasingly pronounced. In particular, the rapid expansion of online delivery services has led to a rise in dependent labor providers, such as delivery workers, who have emerged as a vul...
As the climate crisis worsens, the risk to workers’ health is increasingly pronounced. In particular, the rapid expansion of online delivery services has led to a rise in dependent labor providers, such as delivery workers, who have emerged as a vulnerable social group in the face of the climate crisis. These workers are often excluded from conventional protections for workers’ health and safety, making them especially susceptible to extreme heat. This study investigates the impact of rising summer temperatures on dependent labor providers in South Korea by analyzing workers’ compensation claims data and meteorological data from 2018 to 2023.
Generalized Linear Models with negative binomial distributions were used for the analysis. By incorporating work characteristics such as heat exposure, physical intensity, and work speed, this study examines heterogeneity in vulnerability among different groups. The overall incidence rate ratio (IRR) of daily compensation claims for every 1SD increase in maximum temperature is 1.0085 for appliance installers and 1.0039 for delivery workers. In the industrial analysis, the IRR for the dependent labor providers in the Transportation, Storage, and Telecommunications sector is 1.0065. Dependent labor providers in these groups of interest are more susceptible to extreme heat than non-dependent labor providers within the same occupations and industries.
To our knowledge, no previous study has quantified the association between exposure to summer temperatures and work-related compensation claims with a particular focus on dependent labor providers in South Korea. These findings suggest the need to strengthen protection policies for this group.
This study has several limitations. First, health impacts reported through approved workers' compensation claims were considered, likely underestimating the impact of rising temperatures on occupational health due to unreported or uninsured cases. Second, daily temperatures measured at designated weather stations were used, which may not accurately capture actual workplace conditions, including workers' perceived temperature influenced by factors such as humidity, direct sun exposure, and physical activity. Third, the relatively short six-year study period further limits the findings.