The traditional oil and gas sector, now called as energy sector is witnessing major changes. Conventional energy sources like oil (petrol, diesel etc.) wood, charcoal etc. are being displaced by ‘green energy’ to mitigate the dangerous and often irreversible effects of conventional energy on climate change.

Due to the transition in the energy sector from conventional energy to sustainable energy, the existing big hazards may become fewer while new and smaller hazards may increase.

The concern is that conventional energy is a major determinant in climate change which in turn impacts health of workers and communities.

What will happen to work-related (occupational) risks in the energy sector due to the transition to green energy or sustainable energy?

Due to the transition in the energy sector, the existing big hazards may become fewer while new and smaller hazards may increase. Surveillance and research will indicate if the new hazards in future are insignificant or pose any more dangerous impacts on health than the existing hazards noticed in the conventional energy sector.    

As of now, we hope energy transition will make life of workers and communities better. Currently, it has been documented that the conventional energy is causing a lot of harm to people and environment.

Climate change due to use of conventional energy threatens health, and the threat is increasing.

Climate change is being caused due to our dependence on the present energy technology which is inefficient.  

The world is witnessing climate change that is already causing dangerous weather conditions such as heat waves, heavy rainfalls, floods, high-velocity winds etc. which have lots of implications on health.

Few of the noticeable implications of climate change on health are:

  • Excessive heat on communities especially on vulnerable populations
  • Work-related (occupational) heat risk for outdoor workers
  • Drought due to long-term weather changes and consequent food insecurity
  • Worsening of air pollution
  • Reduced availability of potable water and its quality
  • Increase in disease risk, including food and water-borne as well as vector-borne diseases
  • Changing aero allergen patterns (due to pollen, fungi spores, insects, biological debris etc.)
  • Forced migration of species, including humans
  • Civil disruption in unstable governments and marginally stable societies leading to poverty, mental ill-health, undernutrition, unemployment in healthcare, violence, conflict etc.   

The above-mentioned problems due to climate change have to be reduced to a level that will be at least tolerable in future, and the only way it can be achieved is by moving quickly to a ‘sustainable energy regime.’

SE (sustainable energy) regime is a time in future when businesses will be conducted in a different way without destabilizing global balance and resources for the future while ensuring continuity.

The world is witnessing climate change that is already causing dangerous weather conditions such as heat waves, heavy rainfalls, floods, high-velocity winds etc. which have lots of implications on health.

Rio +25 ‘The Earth Summit’ was an international conference held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to assess progress in achieving sustainable development and mitigating climate change, 25 years after signing of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Rene Mendes, Tee Guidotti, and their colleagues in 2012 conducted a study on the occupational health risks of specific alternative energy technologies for the World Health Organization to support development of a background briefing paper for the Rio +25 summit.

The goal of this study was to anticipate the consequences of sustainable energy technology for occupational health and safety and the hazards or risks they may present. The purpose was to find if avoidable risks for workers could be reduced, to identify opportunities for making gains in the health of workers, their families, and the communities.

It is important for all business owners to realize that sustainability is an ethic issue, a business strategy and a social movement and that there is nothing intrinsically safer in SE compared to conventional energy technologies and both are equally harmful.

The study found that in general that technologies used in sustainable energy share the risks with other projects of similar scale and are the same as for conventional technology. The principles of hazard control and ensuring safe working conditions do not change.

In this context, a word about Tesla (a Elon Musk’s company) controversy and how it continues to lead US carmakers in safety violations is warranted. Since 1st March 2019 when Forbes magazine reported that Tesla has been fined more times than 14 other car manufacturers combined in US with violations and fines under OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) rules.

However, Tesla, like other car manufacturers, has tried to maximize employee health with programs like stretching to reduce strain, have athletic trainers and massage tables for assembly workers. Occupational Health practices seem to be in bits in pieces.  

In May 2022, Elon Musk said at the All In Summit in Miami, ‘Tesla is sort of pretty far out there in terms of work ethic anywhere in the world.’ The Tesla work ethic in the US, I think, is substantially greater than any other car company or any large manufacturing company that I’m aware of.’, he said.   

The Tesla story is for us to understand that it is important for all business owners to realize that sustainability is an ethic issue, a business strategy and a social movement. Since sustainability is perceived to be committed to health for all, employers in SE technologies are held to a higher standard because of their engagement in social equity and social expectation. There is nothing intrinsically safer in SE compared to conventional energy technologies and both are equally harmful.

The study found that in general that technologies used in sustainable energy share the risks with other projects of similar scale and are the same as for conventional technology. The principles of hazard control and ensuring safe working conditions do not change.

Sustainable development must be able to provide for healthy, safe and decent jobs in the new economy based on renewable energy. Workers should get the benefits of the transition as they are part of the community as well as key agents of change (builders of new sustainable energy economy) and should be protected from any adverse effects arising out of work.

Occupational Health plays an important role in sustainability as the basic principles of sustainability are similar. Protecting worker health is as much a part of sustainability as managing HSE and any other corporate responsibility, and is even more embedded in the values of sustainable development.

Hence research, surveillance and good practices of occupational health should continue to check if SE technology cause harm to human health, health of other species and the environment even though current research says sustainable energy does not pose any greater problem than conventional energy for worker health.

For more info, contact

____________________________________________________________________________________________

Dr Ajay Sati is an Occupational Health physician who prefers to describe himself as an Occupationist, to denote, ‘an expert in diseases and other concerns of occupations.’ Dr Sati has managed health and wellness programs in industries he worked, like the atomic energy, and energy (oil & gas) in India and overseas. An experienced virtual consultation expert he was involved in many greenfield and brownfield projects providing inputs from health point of view.