Extreme Heat Seen as Factor in All Workplace Injuries

• Heat exposure increases the overall risk of work injury, an effect consistent across nearly all major industries, according to new analysis of heat and workplace injuries in the United States.
• Based on analysis of OSHA’s Injury Tracking Applications for 2023, the academic researchers found that work injury risks begin to rise when the heat index reaches around 85°F and increase sharply after 90°F, according to a new article in Environmental Health.
• The effect is seen across nearly all industry sectors. As well, workplace state rules protecting workers from exposure to extreme heat appear to attenuate the risk.
• “These injuries are typically not labeled as ‘heat-related’, reflecting a subtle yet pervasive impact of heat on worker vigilance, coordination, and judgment,” the researchers said.