A new study has made a connection between air pollution and workplace safety, revealing that higher levels of PM2.5 not only increase the likelihood of safety liability accidents but also worsen their severity.
The researchers warn that the economic and social consequences could amount to billions of dollars in losses each year.
The study looked at data from 5,873 safety liability accidents – workplace accidents in which a company or organisation is held to be at fault- in China between 2000 and 2020.
The team used an instrumental variable approach, using thermal inversion data as the instrument. Thermal inversions being a weather event where a layer of warm air traps cooler air and pollutants close to the ground.
By applying this method, the researchers could isolate the causal effect – showing that when pollution levels rise due to these natural events, accidents increase, confirming that air pollution is a direct risk factor for workplace accidents.
Their findings show that when PM2.5 concentrations double, the probability of safety liability accidents rises by approximately 2.6 times. Fatalities increase by 37%, and total casualties climb by 51%.
The study identifies energy-intensive industries such as coal mining and construction as being particularly vulnerable. ‘Air pollution acts as an invisible risk multiplier,’ the authors note, explaining that pollution reduces visibility, corrodes industrial equipment and impairs workers’ physical and cognitive performance. These factors collectively elevate the risk of accidents in already hazardous working environments.
Beyond the human toll, the researchers estimate that safety liability accidents linked to a doubling of PM2.5 concentration could result in economic losses ranging from US$4.92 billion to US$10.1 billion. These costs encompass both the immediate damages from accidents and broader social losses, such as healthcare expenditures and productivity decline.
The research was led by Dr. Ning Zhang of Yonsei University in South Korea, who said: ‘Our study shows that air pollution can significantly increase the occurrence and severity of safety liability accidents across industries. This finding extends the social cost estimation of air pollution beyond traditional health and productivity losses, revealing a new dimension of its economic burden.’
Significantly, the study suggests that the effects of air pollution are short-term and acute rather than cumulative, with accident risk peaking immediately after pollution exposure. This finding underscores the urgency for rapid-response safety measures on high-pollution days, particularly in high-risk sectors.
Looking ahead, the researchers believe their findings could guide integrated environmental and occupational safety policies. Dr. Zhang said: ‘Over the next five to ten years, our findings could inform policies linking environmental regulation with workplace safety standards – encouraging industries to include air-quality indicators in their risk management and insurance systems.
‘For ordinary people, such changes would mean safer workplaces, cleaner air, and more resilient communities.’
The full research can be read here.
Photo: Maksim Zaviktorin via Unsplash
In related news:
Breakthrough in monitoring power plant CO₂ and NO₂ emissions
Leave a Reply