職場しょくばの熱中ねっちゅう症しょう対策たいさく きょうから義務ぎむづけ 厚生こうせい労働ろうどう省しょう

To prevent the condition from becoming severe by quickly identifying and responding to workers who may be suffering from heatstroke, companies will be required, starting June 1, to establish procedures in advance for transporting affected individuals to medical institutions and to inform all employees of these procedures in the workplace.

According to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, the number of people who died or were injured due to heatstroke at workplaces nationwide reached 1,257 last year, the highest since statistics began.

Of these, 31 people have died, marking the third consecutive year with more than 30 deaths.

People who died from heatstroke mainly did so because early symptoms such as high body temperature and disorientation were left untreated, or because of delays in being transported to medical facilities. In order to prevent heatstroke in the workplace, from June 1, businesses and other employers will be required to take appropriate measures.

Specifically, it is required to: establish a communication system for reporting cases where someone has symptoms of heatstroke or is suspected of having it; set procedures to prevent serious conditions, such as cooling the body and transporting the person to a medical facility; and make sure these measures are communicated to all workers.

The regulation applies to: ▽ environments where the heat index is 28 or higher, or the temperature is 31°C or above; ▽ work expected to last continuously for more than 1 hour, or more than 4 hours in a day. If countermeasures are neglected, penalties include imprisonment for up to 6 months or a fine of up to 500,000 yen.

The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare is publishing pamphlets and other materials on its website, calling for strengthened measures.

The number of people killed or injured by heatstroke at workplaces has increased significantly in recent years. Last year, the number of victims of heatstroke at workplaces nationwide reached 1,257, the highest since statistics began being collected.

Of these, 31 people have died, marking the third consecutive year with more than 30 deaths.

The number of people who died or were injured due to heatstroke at workplaces nationwide was 959 in 2020, 561 in 2021, 827 in 2022, 1,106 in 2023, and 1,257 in 2024, showing a particularly significant increase in recent years.

Of these, the number of people who died was 22 in 2020, 20 in 2021, 30 in 2022, 31 in 2023, and 31 in 2024.

The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare analyzed a total of 103 people who died at work over the four years up to the year before last, and found that for more than 90%—100 people—the cause of death was leaving initial symptoms untreated or delays in responding to them.

Measures for informing about reporting systems and emergency contact information remain at around ten percent. While companies are required to take measures against heatstroke starting from the first day, a private survey has found that only about ten percent of companies have implemented measures to establish a reporting system or inform employees of emergency contact information in the event of heatstroke.

According to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, most people who died from heatstroke at work did so because early symptoms were ignored or there was a delay in response, so prompt action is required.

The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, starting from the 1st, will require companies to take appropriate measures to protect workers, such as designating in advance a contact point and person in charge for reporting when someone at the workplace shows symptoms of heatstroke or is suspected of having it, as well as establishing procedures for cooling the body and transporting the person to a medical facility. Penalties will also be imposed for failure to implement these measures.

The target is work expected to be carried out continuously for more than one hour or for more than four hours in a day, in environments where the heat index is 28 or higher, or the temperature is 31°C or above.

Before the mandatory implementation of countermeasures, a private research company conducted a survey last month on the status of heatstroke countermeasures at companies, targeting more than 1,500 companies in Japan, and found that 95

5% of companies responded that they are taking some kind of measures.

On the other hand, as a specific measure, only 15 have established a reporting system for heatstroke.

It was found that only 13% of companies are informing employees about emergency contact information, such as where people who suffer from heatstroke should be transported.

According to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, most people who died from heatstroke at work did so because early symptoms were ignored or there was a delay in responding, and such delays in response can be life-threatening.

The Teikoku Databank, which conducted the survey, stated, While many companies are taking measures such as implementing Cool Biz and ensuring hydration and salt intake, measures such as establishing communication systems—which were the background for the new mandate—are still far from sufficient.

It states that there is a need to urgently strengthen measures against heatstroke.