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영어

Purpose : This study was to examine the impact of climate change on the risk of occupational injuries and diseases in Korea and to provide evidence for developing effective prevention strategies. We described recent climate patterns, analyzed associations between climate factors and both heat-related illnesses and overall occupational injuries and diseases, and identified worker groups vulnerable to climate-related risks. Methods : This retrospective observational study used the data from the Korea’s Heat-Related Illness Surveillance System (HRISS), occupational injury statistics from the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency (KOSHA), and meteorological data from 67 nationwide measurement sites between 2022 and 2025. Analyses focused on May through September, when the heat exposure was the highest. Study subjects included cases of daily regional heat-related illness and worker-level injury records. Meteorological variables included temperature, humidity, and heat index. A total of 10,980 cases of heat-related illness and 142,022 cases of occupational injury and illness were analyzed using R 4.5.1. Results : From 2022 to 2025, the influence of humidity declined, whereas associations of temperature, heat index, daily temperature variability, and extreme heat days with heat-related illness soared. A continuous rise in mean heat index corresponded with increased incidence of daily heat-related illness. Logistic regression showed a marked rise in heat-related occupational injury risk, with a 2.41-fold higher likelihood of extreme heat–related incidence in 2024 compared with 2022. High-risk groups included small-scale workplaces (<300 employees), outdoor labor-intensive industries such as agriculture, forestry, and fisheries, construction, mining, and transportation, workers with less than one year term, and those in elementary occupations. Conclusion : Climate change has substantially intensified occupational heat-related hazards in Korea. Climatic indicators and workplace- and worker-level factors jointly increased injury and disease risks, underscoring the urgent need for targeted climate-adaptation strategies for vulnerable industries and worker populations.