Heat causes roughly 170,000 work-related injuries and 2,000 fatalities every year, a new report from Public Citizen, a non-profit consumer rights advocacy group, reveals. Yet, despite the heat being one of the prime reasons for worker injury and death and temperatures only set to increase, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has yet to take steps to protect workers from high temperatures. Public Citizen, along with other workers’ rights groups, has been urging OSHA to implement both temporary and permanent heat-related safety rules for over a decade.
Emergency safety rules needed
“Given the danger, OSHA must create an emergency safety rule to do its job of protecting workers,” said Dr. Juley Fulcher, a health and safety advocate at Public Citizen and co-author of the report. With the implementation of the Emergency Temporary Standard (a temporary safety regulation), heat-related injuries would drop by 30%, the Public Citizen report reveals. Although OSHA started developing a new heat-related safety standard in 2021, it may take years before it’s finally rolled out, leaving the need for a temporary safety rule.
Protecting workers
Public Citizen recommends employers implement a number of practices designed to protect workers. Regular rest breaks, access to adequate hydration, and maximum temperature thresholds are just some of the suggestions. They also estimate that around 50,000 heat-related workplace injuries every year could be prevented with these measures. Nevertheless, if a worker does sustain a heat-related injury while on the job, they may be eligible for workers’ compensation. Keep in mind, that most states require the employee to report the injury on the same day or within the first few days following the injury. If the employee doesn’t follow their state’s requirements regarding reporting, they may void their right to collect workers’ compensation. Swift reporting increases the likelihood of a successful claim.
Heat-related injuries and deaths “vastly underestimated”
Figures from OSHA and the Bureau of Labor Statistics on heat-related injuries and deaths are, according to Public Citizen, probably “vastly underestimated”. Around 340 injuries and 40 deaths occur annually between 2011-2022, as per official figures. Public Citizen, on the other hand, believes 170,000 injuries and 2000 deaths per year is a more accurate estimate. Workers of lower socioeconomic status and workers of color (who typically lack medical insurance and aren’t eligible for workers’ compensation benefits) are most at risk of heat-related illness, injury, or fatality. In fact, Public Citizen found the lowest paid workers like farmworkers sustain five times more heat-related injuries than workers in more lucrative positions. “Today’s heat waves are just another indication of how extreme heat due to the climate crisis is endangering workers, especially immigrant farm workers,” said Robert Weissman, president of Public Citizen.
“Rulemaking takes time, and it’s critical that we get it right,” commented Doug Parker, Assistant Secretary of Labor at OSHA. “We will continue to improve our efforts and explore opportunities to help employers and workers decrease the risk of heat exposure.”
