Heat-related workplace injuries double when temperatures rise to just 80 or 85 degrees Fahrenheit and increase more than sevenfold when temperatures exceed 90 degrees, according to a new report by the Workers Compensation Research Institute.
Unsurprisingly, such injuries are more common during summer months and disproportionately affect outdoor workers. Men and younger workers are at greater risk, and Southern states — including Louisiana, Arkansas, Texas, Mississippi and Arizona — have the highest rates of heat-related injuries.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that more than 33,000 heat-related injuries resulting in at least one day away from work were reported over the past decade. During that same period, 480 heat-related workplace deaths were recorded.
But the true extent of the problem may be far worse. During a webinar on Thursday, WCRI Senior Policy Analyst Vennela Thumula said these numbers are likely underestimates, largely because of the lack of consistent reporting standards and medical coding for heat-related illnesses.
She said heat can cause two major types of workplace injuries. The first involves direct heat-related illnesses such as heat exhaustion, heat stroke, fainting or acute kidney injuries that can be tracked in claims data. But the second category includes injuries indirectly caused by heat, such as falls or cuts resulting from dizziness or impaired cognitive function, which are often not recorded as heat-related.
WCRI analyzed workers’ compensation claims from 31 states between 2013 and 2022 and found an average of 210 heat-related illnesses per 100,000 claims annually. Most cases involved milder conditions such as heat exhaustion; only about 3% were diagnosed as heat stroke.
The data shows a strong correlation between rising temperatures and injury frequency. About 90% of heat-related injury claims occurred on days with temperatures of at least 80 degrees, and half of all claims happened when temperatures exceeded 90.
In fact, workers are twice as likely to suffer heat-related injuries on days when temperatures are between 80 and 85 degrees compared to days between 75 and 80 degrees. When temperatures top 100 degrees, the injury rate increases eighteenfold.
Looking at the impact of heat on overall workplace injuries, Thumula said work injuries increase by 3% on days when the temperature is between 80 and 85 degrees compared to a day when the temperature is between 75 and 80 degrees.
“Now, these numbers might look small percentage-wise, but we’re talking overall workplace injuries,” she said. “So, in terms of absolute numbers, the 3% translates to a much larger number.”
This article was first published in Business Insurance.
