Heat could pose a danger to workers at the upcoming FIFA World Cup, according to a new study from the University of Georgia.
In an analysis of 30 years of weather data from venue host cities, researchers from UGA’s Franklin College of Arts and Sciences found that many jobs at the event exceeded recommended heat exposure and alert limits, putting workers at risk for heat-related health problems such as heat exhaustion or heat stroke.
While some regions and positions are more vulnerable than others, any job involving the outdoors during the months of the matches in June and July should tread with caution. This was especially the case for workers not used to the climate of the games’ many host cities or those doing intense work, the study found.
“All sorts of people in various jobs like security, hospitality, delivery and maintenance are needed to support the events, and it’s really important to think about their safety and their health so that the games can continue successfully,” said Andrew Grundstein, lead author of the study and a professor in Franklin College’s department of geography. “If these workers get overheated, not only is their health at risk — which we don’t want — but it will impact their ability to do their jobs.”
The researchers advise that FIFA and host cities, which include Atlanta, should consider these factors and make heat-focused safety plans focused on worker breaks and hydration during the event.
Southern host cities pose greatest climate risk, especially for out-of-towners
Researchers evaluated historical weather conditions in the 16 World Cup host cities, as well as a specific heat stress measurement: wet-bulb globe temperatures. Wet-bulb globe temperatures account for air temperature, humidity, radiant heat and wind speed, providing a clearer indication of potential health risks beyond just the number on a thermometer.
“Part of the reason it’s so uncomfortable in Georgia in the summer, for instance, is that it’s 90 degrees, which is hot, but the humidity makes it really miserable. Accounting for all those things can give you a better sense about the kind of heat stress that people might feel,” Grundstein said.
Southern cities that host events this year present particularly serious heat hazards to workers. These cities have many hours where environmental conditions pass established heat safety thresholds.
All sorts of people … are needed to support the events, and it’s really important to think about their safety and their health so that the games can continue successfully.
Andrew Grundstein, Franklin College of Arts & Sciences
Exceeding the heat safety threshold means that the body’s temperature may rise, leading to health issues like heat exhaustion or heat stroke.
In Houston and Miami, two of the tournament’s host cities, heat safety thresholds for heavy work with limited rest breaks can be reached 12 hours per day.
For the workers, a few degrees can make a lot of difference. Non-local volunteers and contract workers who were not used to host city weather were more likely to hit the exceeded safety threshold more quickly, the study found.
“Say someone from up north heads down to Houston in the middle of the summer, and they’re not used to the heat. They would face more heat risks because they weren’t adjusted to those conditions,” he said. “These workers would need accommodations like more rest breaks and lighter work to stay safe in the heat.”
Just because a city does not typically have high wet-bulb globe temperatures doesn’t mean it couldn’t experience dangerous levels of heat. Seattle, for example, was part of a catastrophic heat wave in 2021.
“Knowing about average weather conditions can be helpful for planning, but you need to know the range of conditions too,” Grundstein said. “Seattle is climatologically pretty mild, but we now know that it can experience extreme heat too. Organizers really need to anticipate that and plan for contingencies.”
Even low-activity, shaded positions present heat risk
Workers who remained consistently outdoors in non-shaded areas, such as construction and maintenance workers, parking attendants, security guards and even mascots, were more likely to exceed the safety threshold than those who stayed in the shade.
These positions involved moderate to heavy activity levels and could only be safely performed for 15 minutes each hour before the safety threshold was met, the study found.
“If it’s hot outside, obviously it’s going to feel hot, but if you’re standing in the sun versus the shade, that’s really important,” Grundstein said. “If you’re exerting yourself, your body is generating a lot of extra heat, so it’s going to push you over the safety threshold more quickly than someone sitting in the shade doing much more limited activity.”
The researchers found shade can cut wet bulb globe temperatures by 2 to 3 degrees. This can have a meaningful effect on safe working conditions. In Houston, for instance, shade would add several extra hours during the day where workers could safely do work at moderate activity levels.
Outdoor workers are going to be at increased risk. How … is going to depend on factors like the nature of their job, whether they are acclimatized to the heat and how many breaks they have.
Andrew Grundstein
But even those working in less labor-intensive jobs, such as concessions or hospitality, require breaks to combat the heat. An hour of working these positions still saw workers hit the safe heat limit.
The safe duration for each activity was even lower for workers who weren’t acclimated to local weather patterns.
A robust medical response is important for heat-related emergencies, but a proactive approach to keeping workers safe is ideal, the researchers said. That means flexible scheduling, mandatory breaks and ample access to water and shade.
“We know Atlanta is going to be hot and humid in the summer, so outdoor workers are going to be at increased risk,” Grundstein said. “How much increased risk is going to depend on factors like the nature of their job, whether they are acclimatized to the heat and how many breaks they have.”
This study was published in Applied Physiology, Nutrition and Metabolism, and was co-authored by Margaret Morrissey-Basler, Rebecca Stearns and Sebastien Racinais.