The changes follow record-high heat levels in Japan
Employers across Japan will be required to protect their workers from heat illness under new legislation that took effect on Sunday.
The legislation is a national-level policy on heat safety for employees, revising a ministerial ordinance of Japan's Industrial Safety and Health Law.
Under the new rules, employers are required to implement measures to spot and aid workers who are showing symptoms of heatstroke, Bloomberg reported.
According to the report, among the suggested policies are the implementation of a buddy system at work sites, distribution of wearable devices to monitor staff, and providing emergency transportation to hospitals or clinics.
Employers are also required to monitor the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature index, an international standard used to assess thermal comfort during heat extremes. It takes into account the air temperature, humidity, radiant heat, and air movement.
Japan's new legislation requires employers to have specific measures in place for work sites where the index value surpasses 28 degrees Celsius or an atmospheric temperature of 31 degrees Celsius for more than one hour, or at least for a few hours a day, Bloomberg reported.
Employers who neglect these measures may face penalties of up to JPY500,000.
The new legislation comes after Japan had its hottest summer on record in July 2024, with the average temperature hitting 1.76 degrees Celsius higher than the average year, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA).
JMA recorded 2,033 people who died in 2024 due to heatstroke, up from 1,651 people in 2023 and 1,477 people in 2022, NHK World reported.
The Fire and Disaster Management Agency also said there were 97,578 people who were rushed to the hospital for heatstroke last year, a record-high for Japan.
The record-high heat level in Japan comes amid rising temperatures across the world due to global warming, which raises the risk for workers globally.
Data from the International Labour Organisation said that 74.7% of the workforce in Asia and the Pacific is exposed to excessive heat, higher than the global average of 71%.
ILO Director-General Gilbert F. Houngbo said excessive heat is "creating unprecedented challenges for workers worldwide year-round."
Occupational injuries from excessive heat exceeded 22.8 million in 2020, with 6.1% of heat-attributed injuries during the year recorded as fatal, according to ILO data.
"We need year-round heat action plans and legislation to protect workers, and stronger global collaboration among experts to harmonise heat stress assessments and interventions at work," Houngbo said in a statement.
Various countries in Asia have implemented measures to protect workers from the heat. Singapore revised its framework last year that was aimed at protecting outdoor workers from heat stress.
The Hong Kong government last year also introduced a three-tier warning system to reflect weather warnings about significant heat stress.
