A United Nations report says brutal heat triggered by climate change is a worldwide health danger to people that work outdoors, while also threatening to further slow down the growth of the world economy.

It said some four billion out of the world's total population of 7.1 billion live in areas very vulnerable to climate change. These high risk regions include states in the southern United States; Central America; northern South America, the Caribbean, southern Asia and north and west Africa.

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The UN is bracing for an epidemic of heat related injuries in west Africa, southern Asia and 10 regions in Asia, Africa and Latin America by 2030.

Farmers, construction workers, fishermen, factory workers and professions where outdoor work is necessary are most at risk from the sweltering heat. The UN report also called on governments and business owners to take steps to protect the health of outdoor workers. It said working conditions exceeding 35 degrees Celsius or 95 degrees Fahrenheit are dangerous to an individual's capacity to work and his health.

What the UN report finds regrettable is some people, especially the poor, force themselves to continue working under the severe heat just to earn enough money to get by, according to Saleemul Huq, head of the International Centre for Climate Change and Development. Heat stress is the main danger faced by outdoor employees.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warns that workers exposed to extreme heat or work in hot environments may be at risk of heat stress. It said exposure to extreme heat can result in heat stroke, heat exhaustion, heat cramps or heat rashes. Heat can also increase the risk of injuries in workers since it may result in dizziness and other afflictions.

The rising heat is also causing the loss of valuable manhours and lowering productivity as outdoor employees slow down their pace of work or take longer breaks. The report estimates productivity losses from the unrelenting heat to hit $2 trillion by 2030. Some two percent of daylight hours are expected to be shaved off the working day due to the extreme heat.

This phenomenon is already apparent in West Africa where the number of hot days each year has doubled each year. West Africa has added 10 hot days every decade since the 1960s.

TagsUnited Nations, Climate Change, International Centre for Climate Change and Development, U.S. Centers For Disease Control And Prevention, CDC, heat stress, heat stroke