Workers at Singapore's Changi International Airport can now cool down in these pods

There are now cooling pods at Changi airport for workers struggling under the intense heat. — Changi Airport Group/dpa

It might be the world’s best airport, going by a survey of passengers, but workers at Changi International Airport in Singapore still need a bit of extra help to cool off inside the sprawling five-terminal hub.

For this reason, Changi Airport Group says it is providing “refresh pods” for the roughly 30,000 people employed at the airport, some of whom have to operate outdoors in temperatures frequently in the 30°Cs.

In the pods, “cool air is blown and circulated” at the “touch of a button”, the airport announced, adding that patrons “may use it to cool down or dry themselves when caught in wet weather conditions”.

The World Health Organisation says the number of people whose health is suffering from heat stress is on the rise, since “extreme temperature events are observed to be increasing in their frequency”.

The 2.5m-tall pods are being stationed at “various staff rest areas” and are part of a wider push by the airport to make employers and workers better aware of the need to manage exposure to heat.

Changi’s management is bringing in the local Raffles Medical Group to inform companies operating at the airport about heat stroke and first aid.

“The risk of heat related illness is higher for airside workers, compared to those who work in an indoor settings,” said Sharen Tian, a doctor with Raffles.

Changi Airport has won top prize at the annual World Airport Awards numerous times and stands out with its indoor forest and a network of suspension nets that children can bounce along. – dpa