Heat, health, and work in India's MSME sector

Over the past decade, India has witnessed an increase in both the intensity and frequency of heatwaves.

- Bhawna Ahuja

Over the past decade, India has witnessed an increase in both the intensity and frequency of heatwaves. The soaring temperatures present a growing threat to the health and productivity of over 20 crore MSME workers, who work in conditions that have little scope for regulating temperatures. Outdoor workers, in sectors such as agriculture, vending, and construction, are considered the most vulnerable. However, indoor working conditions in foundries, and textiles, among others, are often overlooked.

Indoor workspaces are not always immune to heat risks; most manufacturing MSME units are heat traps. They tend to operate in metal-roofed buildings with little or no insulation, inadequate ventilation, and virtually no cooling systems. In textile processing mills, machines such as boilers, dyeing vats, or presses generate additional heat, compounding the effects of already high ambient temperatures, creating stifling working conditions. The impact of heat stress on indoor industrial workers is not just physical, it is economic and social. Most workers are informally employed, with limited access to occupational health and social protection, and hence prioritize jobs over health and safety considerations.