Japan Enforces Landmark Worker Heat Safety Law – Here’s What Employers Should Know About the Fine

Japan has passed a historic law that requires employers to take strong action to protect workers from heat illness or face penalties up to JPY 500,000 (approximately $3,475). The new law, which took effect on June 1, is one of the few national-level laws in the world aimed at workplace heat safety.

The action follows a summer of deadly heat, with record temperatures in July reported to be linked to at least 30 workplace deaths and about 1,200 heat-related injuries, mainly in the construction and manufacturing sectors. Heatstroke occurs when the body’s temperature reaches dangerously high levels. If left untreated, heatstroke can result in organ failure. According to the World Health Organisation, an average of nearly half a million people died from heat-related causes every year from 2000 to 2019.

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The new rules require employers to implement heat response procedures, including monitoring the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) index, which is achieved by factoring temperature, humidity and sunlight for the workplace. If the index is 28 degrees or higher or the temperature exceeds 31 degrees for one hour or longer, or if the temperature exceeds 31 degrees for four hours in a single day, then you must take the required heat mitigation actions.

Necessary measures are buddy systems, wearable health monitors, more frequent breaks and emergency medical services. Companies like Shimizu Corp. are also revising internal policies, while Yamato Transport plans to issue 75,000 fan-equipped vests and install 3,000 WBGT devices across the country.

This legislative development comes on the heels of worldwide anxiety regarding increasing temperatures. Earth surpassed 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial averages for the first time in 2024, according to the World Meteorological Organisation. A 2019 International Labour Organisation report warned that heat stress could impose a cost of $2.4 trillion on the global economy each year by 2030.

Japan’s law sets a milestone by also connecting to U.S. states of California and Washington that are tackling the health and economic risks of extreme heat.