{
  "id": 5702163,
  "title": "Southeast Asia’s extreme heat exposes holes in safety net for outdoor workers",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/05/southeast-asias-extreme-heat-exposes-holes-in-safety-net-for-outdoor",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-09-05T03:00:17.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "South China Morning Post",
    "slug": "south-china-morning-post",
    "url": "https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3366451/southeast-asias-extreme-heat-exposes-holes-safety-net-outdoor-workers"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "As temperatures soar in Southeast Asia, the precarious safety net for outdoor laborers is coming under scrutiny. In Malaysia's Johor state, Chung Kee Wa, a 68-year-old oil palm farmer, modifies his work routine to avoid the midday heat. However, many construction, agriculture, and platform workers in the region lack such flexibility due to employer-imposed schedules. The Asian Development Bank reports that annual mean temperatures in the region have risen by 0.14-0.2 degrees Celsius per decade since the 1960s. Regrettably, many Southeast Asian cities lack adequate heat risk assessments, and regulations protecting outdoor workers from extreme heat are either weak or unenforced.\n\nThe International Labour Organization estimates that heat stress could eliminate 3.7% of working hours in Southeast Asia by 2030, equivalent to 13 million full-time jobs. Singapore has taken notice, enhancing its Heat Stress Management Framework to include measures like \"drink, rest, and shade,\" heat acclimatisation, WBGT monitoring, and emergency response plans. Employers in Singapore must now provide training, cool drinking water, appropriate clothing, and emergency cooling provisions when the wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT) reaches 32 degrees Celsius (89.6 degrees Fahrenheit). Those who fail to comply may be fined and warned.\n\nJason Lee, director of the Heat Resilience & Performance Centre at the National University of Singapore, cautions that environmental readings only tell part of the story. Individual risk depends on clothing, physical condition, and the intensity and duration of the task. In Bangkok, delivery rider Koy Phanida has adapted her schedule to avoid the worst of the heat. She works from 7am to 1pm, takes a break until 5pm, and continues until 8pm or 9pm on hot days. On milder days, she works from 7am to 5pm, often stretching her workday to 13 or 14 hours. Koy's headaches, which she does not report, illustrate the difficulty in accurately assessing heat-related illnesses, as many may go unrecorded or underreported due to fear of stigma or losing work.\n\nMalaysia's Department of Occupational Safety and Health has recorded only eight occupational heat stress-related cases between 2017 and 2025. The organization acknowledges the issue of underreporting, which can stem from fear of being labeled a \"malingerer\" or \"disruptive\" and employers' reluctance to report incidents to protect their safety records. While drinking water is often highlighted as a solution, Lee emphasizes the importance of rest, aerobic conditioning, heat acclimatisation, cooling, and hydration. Understanding these risks is critical, as several industries in Singapore have sought assistance from researchers to address rising heat risks. Malaysia employs the DOSH guidelines, while smaller firms may require incentives or support to adopt necessary measures. South Korea serves as a potential model, requiring employers to provide 20 minutes' rest every two hours when the apparent temperature reaches 33 degrees Celsius.",
  "summary": "When the day heats up, small business owner Chung Kee Wa, 68, changes how he tends his oil palm plantation in Yong Peng, in Malaysia’s southern Johor state. Oil palms younger than three years offer little shade, so he tends them in the early mornings and evenings, spraying pesticide, applying fertiliser or weeding. “We try our best to avoid going to the plantation around noon,” Chung said. He…",
  "key_points": [
    "Temperatures in Southeast Asia rise 0.14-0.2°C per decade since 1960s",
    "Singapore enhances Heat Stress Management Framework with WBGT monitoring",
    "Malaysia records only 8 heat stress cases in 8 years, underreporting issue"
  ],
  "editors_take": "Southeast Asia's rising temperatures are highlighting gaps in protections for outdoor workers, who often lack flexibility in their schedules, adequate employer support, and enforced regulations to mitigate heat-related risks.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}