Rising Heat Risks for Workers

Climate Central reports that 89% of 242 analyzed U.S. locations have seen an increase in annual 'warning days' (heat index 80°F to 94°F) since 1979, with the most significant rises in the Ohio Valley and Upper Midwest. Between 1992 and 2022, 986 U.S. workers died from heat exposure, and from 1980 to 2016, an average of 421 million work hours were lost annually, costing $14 billion. The document highlights a lack of comprehensive federal heat standards, noting that only five states have such protections, while some states like Florida and Texas prohibit local municipalities from enacting their own heat safety laws.

• Analysis of 242 U.S. locations shows that 89% have experienced an increase in annual 'warning days' for workers—defined as a heat index between 80°F and 94°F—since 1979. These locations now average 11 more warning days per year, with the highest increases in the Ohio Valley (13 more days) and the Upper Midwest, Northeast, and Northern Rockies and Plains (12 more days).
• The frequency of 'danger days' (heat index of 95°F or higher) has increased in approximately 60% of 236 analyzed U.S. locations since 1979. These increases are concentrated in the South and Southeast, where workers now experience an average of 14 and 11 more danger days annually, respectively. Miami, Florida, saw the largest increase with up to 43 more danger days per year.
• Heat-related workplace fatalities and injuries are significant, with 986 U.S. workers dying from heat exposure between 1992 and 2022, one-third of whom were construction workers. From 2011 to 2020, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimated 33,890 work-related heat injuries and illnesses that resulted in days away from work.
• Extreme heat causes substantial economic losses through lost labor hours. In the U.S., an average of 421 million work hours were lost annually between 1980 and 2016, costing $14 billion per year (in 2016 dollars). Globally, heat resulted in the loss of 490 billion potential work hours in 2022.
• Future projections indicate that if emissions of heat-trapping pollution continue (RCP 4.5 and 8.5), U.S. weather-exposed workers could lose between $37 and $80 billion in annual wages by 2090. A 2°C warming scenario is projected to result in 14 lost labor hours per year globally, with the highest losses in the Southeast (20 hours) and Southern Great Plains (26 hours).
• There is a lack of comprehensive federal heat protections in the U.S., with only five states—California, Colorado, Minnesota, Oregon, and Washington—having workplace standards for heat exposure. Furthermore, Florida and Texas have legislation that prevents local municipalities from creating their own heat and worker safety laws.

APA

Climate Central (2024). Rising Heat Risks for Workers. https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-matters/rising-heat-risks-for-workers

Chicago

Climate Central. Rising Heat Risks for Workers. 2024. https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-matters/rising-heat-risks-for-workers.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Climate Central |title=Rising Heat Risks for Workers |date=30 July 2024 |url=https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-matters/rising-heat-risks-for-workers |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{climatecentral2024rising, author = {{Climate Central}}, title = {{Rising Heat Risks for Workers}}, institution = {Climate Central}, year = {2024}, month = jul, url = {https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-matters/rising-heat-risks-for-workers}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }