Exploring the health and safety risks associated with climate change and the most promising prevention methods for Quebec food processing company employees

Climate change and the associated phenomena will be key determinants of health in the coming decades, but their impacts on workers’ health has not been extensively documented. This is all the more true for workers in food supply chains, particularly in the food processing industry. Extreme weather events, the appearance of pathogens causing zoonoses, and ecosystem disturbances are examples of phenomena linked to climate change which could have direct impacts on the health and safety of these workers, causing cardiovascular, respiratory, kidney or other health problems, or aggravating existing ones. These events may also have indirect impacts on the health and safety of this workforce by modifying working and employment conditions, which are important determinants of the physical and psychological health of individuals.

To explore the occupational health and safety risks associated with climate change by:

1. Documenting the work-related difficulties experienced or anticipated by people working in Quebec’s slaughtering and meat-packing and fruit and vegetable processing industries due to current and projected climate change and the associated hazards

2. Identifying promising prevention methods to alleviate work-related difficulties and the occupational health and safety risks associated directly or indirectly with current and projected climate change in Quebec’s slaughtering and meat packing and fruit and vegetable processing industries, in collaboration with various industry partners

3. Raising awareness among decision-makers in the food processing industry more generally, as well as in other links in the food supply chain (production and distribution), of the difficulties and occupational health and safety risks associated, directly or indirectly, with current and projected climate change, and of promising prevention methods

The study is based on a qualitative, partnership-based research approach.

• Conduct around 40 one-on-one interviews with employer and employee representatives in food processing companies to discuss:

  • Work-related difficulties and occupational health and safety risks experienced or anticipated in view of the projected future climate in the company’s region and in Quebec

  • Potential preventive measures to be taken

• Conduct a focus group with representatives from the industry and businesses and other key players in occupational health and safety to develop new and/or more in-depth approaches to prevention

• Develop a resource describing promising prevention ideas for companies and the prevention professionals who work with them

• Have the resource assessed by a committee of users

• Carry out activities to raise awareness in the food processing industry and the other links in the food supply chain (production and distribution) of the difficulties and occupational health and safety risks associated with climate change, and of promising prevention methods, through dissemination of the resource and through other activities chosen by the committee of users

• A resource to support occupational health and safety in the context of climate change, aimed at companies in the food processing industry and the prevention professionals who work with them, potentially transferable to the broader food processing industry (all sub-sectors), as well as to the production and distribution industries

• A scientific report including the research results

• Presentation of the work at Ouranos and various dissemination and knowledge transfer activities to be determined with the committee of users (e.g. presentations at occupational health events and scientific conferences)

• Université de Montréal

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