Climate change impacts on working people (the HOTHAPS initiative): findings of the South African pilot study.

Background: It is now widely accepted that climate change is occurring as a result of the accumulation of greenhouse gases (GHG) in the atmosphere. With the prospect of a warmer world, increased attention is being devoted to the implications for worker well-being and work performance.

Objectives: The 'high occupational temperature health and productivity suppression' (HOTHAPS) programme is a multi-centre health research and prevention programme aimed at characterising and quantifying the extent to which working people are affected by, or adapt to, heat exposure while working.