An official A from the Ministry of Data and Statistics (MODS) went to a rice paddy in Pohang, North Gyeongsang, in Jul. to survey crop acreage. It was a day when the high temperature neared 33 degrees. Working under the blazing sun, A felt dehydration symptoms, stopped the work, and went home.
But the condition did not improve. The next day, A went to a hospital and was diagnosed with a cerebral infarction. A later learned that dehydration in extreme heat can raise the risk of a cerebral infarction. When you sweat heavily and your body lacks fluids, blood viscosity rises, increasing the chance of a thrombus (blood clot).
With an unprecedented heat wave persisting, officials who perform outdoor field work like A are being pushed into the risk of heat-related illness. There are calls to improve outdated field survey methods, expand cooling equipment and rest facilities, and allow officials to stop work on their own when it is dangerous.
◇ "Statistics survey method unchanged for 60 years"
According to government circles on the 6th, two officials at the Ministry of Data and Statistics (MODS) collapsed about two years ago around the Chuseok holiday while out surveying rice production. It was mid-September, when a heat wave warning was in effect.
The reason cited for conducting long outdoor surveys despite the extreme heat is that the method of compiling statistics remains stuck 60 years in the past. According to the Job Manual for Crop Production Survey, crop statistics surveys are conducted by collecting grains and empty husks in the field and counting them one by one by hand.
Avoiding the heat is said to be tight when considering the set statistical deadline. Official B at the Ministry of Data and Statistics (MODS) said, "In an era when terms like artificial intelligence (AI) and big data are commonplace, officials are still going into fields and counting rice grains one by one by hand, and collapsing."
◇ Perceived heat spikes in protective gear… few places to rest
Not only outdated work methods but also a lack of equipment and rest facilities to escape the heat are cited as problems. Fire officials who work in protective suits designed to withstand flames are particularly vulnerable to extreme heat.
Firefighter C, who collapsed from dehydration during training on the 3rd, said, "The moment you put on a protective suit, heat cannot escape to the outside and sweat pours down."
When a major fire breaks out, more than 100 firefighters may be deployed and remain on scene for nearly a week. But there is not enough space for firefighters to cool down and recover.
C said, "The best we can do on scene is sit in the shade and rest," adding, "We need facilities where firefighters who have completed long hours of suppression work can lower their body temperature and properly rest."
In light of poor rest conditions for fire officials, authorities have prepared "disaster scene recovery vehicles" converted from large trailers, but there are only about a dozen nationwide. Firefighter D also said, "Personal portable equipment like cooling vests is expensive, making even distribution difficult," adding, "There is no real option other than enduring the summer."
Overseas, procedures for managing body temperature and recovery for firefighters engaged in long on-site activities are being standardized. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) in the United States has recovery procedures requiring firefighters on long deployments to rest and rehydrate at set intervals. On scene, air-conditioned mobile recovery vehicles, cooling tents, and ice vests are also used.
◇ Heat wave guidelines prove useless in the field
Other outdoor workers, such as local government officials who inspect roads and traffic police, face similar difficulties. The government and agencies have guidelines to reduce outdoor work hours or increase rest time during heat waves, but staffing and on-site conditions often make them hard to follow.
Official E at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said, "These days, the road surface is no different from a griddle," adding, "Road repair and maintenance work constantly arises, so it is hard to stop work just because of a heat wave."
As the sweltering heat persists, heat-related patients are also surging. The number of people with heat-related illness who visited emergency rooms nationwide exceeded 100 per day this month, and from the 3rd to the 5th it recorded the 200s for three straight days. There were also heat-related fatalities for five consecutive days.
Experts note that, with heat waves likely to recur in summer due to climate change, the response should go beyond temporary measures to improve the field work system itself.
They say work hours should be flexibly adjusted during heat waves, mobile cooling and rest facilities and personal cooling equipment should be expanded, and tasks that have been performed directly by people, such as crop surveys, should be digitized. There are also calls to guarantee officials the authority to stop work on their own without fear of disadvantage if they feel a health risk.
Kim Bu-uk, a professor of occupational health and safety engineering at Inje University, said, "We are at a point where government-wide discussions are needed to provide institutional support for the safety of officials working on site even during heat waves."
Lee Ho-bal, secretary-general of the Federation of Korean Government Employees' Unions, said, "Each ministry has heat wave response guidelines, but work environments and application standards vary," adding, "It is necessary to guarantee the discretion to stop work when officials judge it to be dangerous."