#735 Labor Theory 19 | What is necessary to work in this intense heat
Still, day and night, it is devilishly hot and it's impossible to work, isn't it?
According to research by Weathernews, it looks something like this...
Temperatures this summer (July-September) are expected to be higher than average nationwide, and there is a possibility that it will be as hot as last year, which was the hottest on record. Due to a "double high-pressure system" where the Tibetan High and the Pacific High overlap in the upper atmosphere, there is a risk of consecutive days of extreme heat of 35 degrees Celsius or higher, and in some regions, temperatures could reach around 40 degrees Celsius.
It's quite brutal, but the chart below is even more brutal.
The areas where temperatures are expected to be higher than average are shown in red, but...
It's all red lol
It's hell!
Now, in such a sweltering Japan,
I am fortunate enough to be able to work at home with the air conditioning blasting, but depending on the job, there are some that must be done under the scorching sun, and this heat is directly linked to death, so we must somehow reduce such tragic accidents.
By the way, the number of heatstroke casualties in the workplace in 2023 was 1,106, and of those, 31 died, which seems to be a result that is no laughing matter. It's scary, isn't it...
Let's think about what we can do for heatstroke prevention.
To protect yourself from this intense heat
1. Don't commute
I feel like this is the best measure.
You get drenched in sweat moving from your house to the station under the scorching sun, drenched in sweat again in the hellish congestion of the commuter train, drenched in sweat moving from the station nearest to the office to the office, and once you arrive at the office, you get drenched in sweat from the proximity to colleagues or just moving around a little...
Therefore, going to the office = drenched in sweat is unavoidable. Let's work remotely.
2. Short sleeves + shorts
Not commuting is the best, but there are still jobs that require you to go to work... so those people should dress as coolly as possible when going to work.
I haven't worked at a company that requires suits for over 10 years, so I don't know, but are there still jobs where you have to commute in a suit (wearing a jacket)?
You will definitely die, so it would be ideal to get rid of these bad old cultures.
3. Hydration
And for those of you who have to go to the office, it's about thorough hydration.
Anyway, let's drink water like crazy.
I think most offices have water coolers these days, but you want to make sure you don't run out of that water stock.
4. Thorough physical condition management
And regarding daily awareness, things you should be careful about on a regular basis, like lack of sleep or drinking too much, will cause squared or cubed damage due to this heat, so if you feel even the slightest abnormality, “Oh, I might have heatstroke...” you should take a break right then and there.
I personally think that working in such heat is absolutely inefficient.
What labor managers should do
As expected, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare has established guidelines for this extreme heat.
In any case, what labor managers must do is “comfortable air conditioning settings” and “early detection of those feeling unwell”—that is all there is to it, isn't it?
1. Comfortable air conditioning settings
In any case, for the temperature, it should be comfortable, or rather, a setting that is a little cold is good.
If you are cold, you can put on more clothes, but if you are hot, you cannot take them off in the office. Let's set it a bit on the cold side, with the feeling of being overly cautious.
On top of that, I would like you to be conscious of things like air ventilation as well.
2. Early detection of those feeling unwell
This is also important.
The following article was helpful, so I have brought it here as is; please do use it as a reference.
If an employee develops heatstroke or similar symptoms and does not respond when called, call an ambulance immediately.
If they do respond, it is important to promptly perform first aid such as “moving them to a cool place,” “cooling their body,” and “rehydrating.” When cooling the body, focus on areas like the neck, underarms, and groin.
In conclusion
To repeat, it is quite tough to work in such heat, so let's thoroughly adopt a “work while resting” style.
I am fully enjoying the benefits of remote work, working in an air-conditioned room in attire that would never be acceptable in an office, and even doing sauna-working—a rather cheeky work style—so I don't think my example is very helpful, but I hope you can use it as a reference, haha.