Heat Stress Acclimatization Interventions for Employee Productivity in ISO 14001certified Firms in Kenya in the Context of Climate Change

Abstract

Globally, extreme temperature occurrences associated with climate change and rise in atmospheric temperature have been observed to be increasing in frequency, duration and intensity. These have negative effects on human health and safety, employee productivity and rate of economic growth. Some organizations have taken steps to address these heat related public health issues. There is however inadequate knowledge on the extent of implementation, effectiveness and acceptability of the existing heat adaptation intervention measures in many vulnerable communities. The general objective of this study therefore was to assess heat acclimatization interventions and implementation outcomes in ISO 14001 certified firms in Kenya. The study adopted descriptive research design. The unit of observation was 37 purposively selected senior executives in the identified firms. Mean responses received in a Likert scale of 1 – 5 for each of the tested items was calculated using descriptive statistics. The study recorded 75.68% response rate, with 42.9% of the respondents indicating that their firm has implemented infrastructural heat adaptation interventions such as cool-housing, shade and water provision, while 42.9% disagreed that the firm has in place technological intervention measures such as personal heat stress sensors and specialised material. When asked to indicate whether employees are aware about heat related mental health issues such as depression, suicide and substance abuse, 46.4% were not sure. When asked to comment on the appropriateness and wide acceptance of the current heat adaptation interventions in their respective firms, 42.9% of the study participants responded in the affirmative, while 21.4% were not sure. The study revealed that a substantial number of respondents were not sure or disagree with the current heat adaptation interventions. This implies that there is vulnerability to health threats associated with prolonged exposure to extreme heat events, hence negative social and economic outcomes such as hospitalization burden, low employee productivity and reduction in household income. The study recommends need for more studies in heat stress areas in Kenya, sensitization activities, review of heat adaptation measures and legal framework to mitigate effects of climate change. The expected study output is employee wellbeing and enhanced productivity for economic growth.