In a recent report, Iran’s state-run newspaper Etemad highlighted the tragic deaths of two workers from heatstroke in August 2024. This report sheds light on a worrying trend, revealing that since the summer of 2016, at least 12 workers in the construction, metalworking, and oil and gas industries across Khuzestan, Bushehr, and Hormozgan provinces have succumbed to heatstroke while on the job.
Recent Incidents
The report, published on August 29, 2024, detailed the fatal incidents involving two workers. Alireza Abdollahzadeh, a petrochemical worker at Bandar-e Emam, experienced a seizure due to the extreme heat on August 20, and tragically died before he could be transported to the hospital. Just days earlier, on August 15, Mohammad Saeed Safaifard, a project worker at the South Pars Gas Complex, also died from heatstroke while at work.
A History of Heatstroke Deaths
The report went on to list other fatalities from previous years, underscoring the persistent nature of this issue:
- August 2022: Abdolreza Samiryan
- August 2020: Ebrahim Arabzadeh
- June 2019: Rauf Salmani
- July 2018: Musa Rezaei
- July 2017: Two workers in Khuzestan and Bushehr provinces
- August 2017: Three workers in Khuzestan and Hormozgan provinces
- August 2016: One worker in Ahvaz
These deaths emphasize the severe and ongoing risks that workers in these regions face due to extreme heat.
Occupational Hazards and Heatstroke
Heatstroke is recognized in occupational medicine regulations as a medical emergency, as it can lead to fatal accidents and the death of workers. In one particularly harrowing case from August 2023, a worker cleaning the chimney of a steam unit at the South Pars gas complex in Asaluyeh County passed out and died from heatstroke.
This is not an isolated incident. In July 2023, the Ham Mihan newspaper reported that power plant workers in southern cities like Ahvaz and Bandar Abbas were working extended hours in temperatures reaching 70°C.
The Impact on Workers
Labor activists, quoted by Etemad, noted that every summer, numerous workers in southern provinces suffer from heatstroke. Many of these incidents lead to accidents causing amputations, disabilities, or even death due to the loss of consciousness triggered by heatstroke.
A general physician, interviewed by Etemad, remarked that many workers are unaware of the symptoms of heatstroke and often attribute the resulting accidents to other causes. This lack of awareness contributes to the underreporting of heatstroke-related deaths.
The physician further noted that common accidents such as falls from heights, amputations, explosions, and fires in industrial and construction sites are frequently linked to heatstroke. These incidents, often occurring during the hottest months, result in severe injuries such as spinal cord damage, permanent disabilities, and even death.
Rising Workplace Accidents in Iran
The head of the Crime Scene Investigation Department of Iran’s Forensic Medicine Organization recently reported that 2,115 workers died, and 27,000 were injured due to work-related accidents in 2023. A report by the state-run ILNA news agency criticized the Ministry of Labor for its lack of transparency, revealing that these statistics equate to the death of nearly six workers every day.
According to Ali Ziaei, the head of the Crime Scene Investigation Department, work-related accidents increased by 11.3% in 2023 compared to the previous year. He also noted that falls from heights remain the leading cause of workplace fatalities, accounting for 46.5% of all deaths, with 983 workers losing their lives due to such accidents last year.
