Report Shows Excessive Heat Pushes Worker Injury Risk Sky High

It may come as no surprise that heat-related worker injury claims rise on hot days, but the magnitude of the increase is an eye-opener.

As temperatures skyrocketed during early summer heat waves across the United States, the Workers Compensation Research Institute put out a webinar digging into the WCRI’S recent report on heat-related illnesses in the workplace.

According to the report, heat-related illness (HRI) claims increase at least sevenfold on days when temperatures exceed 90 degrees, compared with days with temperatures between 75 degrees and 80 degrees. And the number of claims increases by as much as 18 times when it gets above 100 degrees.

“These are big increases in HRI counts on days when temperatures exceed these thresholds,” said Vennela Thumula, a senior policy analyst at WCRI and one of the study’s coauthors. “Even at 80-85 degrees Fahrenheit, we see that HRIs double.”

WCRI estimates that overall work injuries increase by 3% on days when temperatures are 90-95 degrees. Overall injuries are estimated to increase by 4% when temperatures exceed 95.

Excessive heat is reported to be the leading cause of weather-related deaths in the United States. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates show that 33,890 heat-related work injuries and 479 deaths occurred from 2011 to 2020.

Thumula believes the number of these injuries is likely an underestimate. Heat stroke, heat exhaustion, syncope, cramps, rash, rhabdomyolysis and acute kidney injury are all considered physiological heat-related illnesses. Injuries that occur when heat impairs the perceptual, motor or cognitive abilities of workers and leads to accidents, such as falling off a ladder on a hot day, however, are more likely to be classified as falls or cuts as opposed to heat exhaustion.

A WCRI analysis of workers’ comp claims in 31 states from 2013 to 2022 showed that heat-related illness claims sharply peak during the summer months, with 75% of claims occurring between June and August. The findings show a clear relationship between excessive heat and the risk of workplace injuries, Thumula said.

The data shows that 90% of HRI claims occurred on days when daily maximum air temperatures exceeded 80 degrees; at least half of all HRI claims occurred on days when those temperatures sweltered above 90 degrees. Those working in Southern states, primarily outdoors in labor-intensive jobs or who are new at their positions (within two months of being hired) are at higher risk of HRIs, WCRI concluded.

“In terms of demographics, we find that younger workers and men had higher risk of HRIs,” Thumula added.

States with the highest rates of heat-related illnesses include Louisiana, Arkansas, Texas, Mississippi and Arizona. Thumula explained that a strong positive correlation exists between the annual number of days that temperatures exceed 90 degrees and the number of HRI claims. Notably, none of these states have a heat standard that requires employers to implement protections to reduce the risk of heat-related injuries and illnesses.

WCRI found that the top five industry occupation groups associated with a higher risk of developing an HRI are public safety, construction, mining, transportation and utilities and agriculture. Twenty-one percent of all HRI claims occur within the construction industry, 18% occur within the manufacturing industry, and 15% occur within the transportation and utility industries.

A recording of the webinar and presentation slide deck can be found on the WCRI website.

Top photo: Construction worker Fernando Padilla wipes his face as he works in the heat, Friday, June 30, 2023 in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV).

Topics Workers' Compensation