Evaluation of the impact of heat stress on the occurrence of occupational injuries: Meta-analysis of observational studies

Background Growing evidence indicates that the exposure to high heat levels in the workplace results in health problems in workers. A meta-analysis was carried out to summarize the epidemiological evidence of the effects of heat exposure on the risk of occupational injuries. Methods A search strategy was conducted to retrieve studies on the effects of climate change on occupational injury risk. Among the 406 identified, 5 time-series and 3 case-crossover studies were selected for meta-analysis. Results Pooled risk estimates for time-series and case-crossover studies combined, and then separated, were 1.005 (95%CI: 1.001-1009), 1.002 (95%CI: 0.998-1.005), and 1.014 (95%CI: 1.012-1.017), respectively. Subgroup analyses found increased risks (not statistically significant) for male gender, age Conclusions The present findings can orient further research to assess the effects of heat at workplace and consequently to establish better health policies for managing such exposure in at-risk regions.