Heat-related illnesses (HRIs) increase dramatically with higher temperatures, with 90% of HRI claims occurring on days exceeding 80°F. That’s one finding from a new report by the Workers’ Compensation Research Institute (WCRI), published in December 2024. The report comes on the heels of several other newsworthy items related to workers and extreme heat.
According to Public Citizen, heat exposure is responsible for as many as 2,000 worker fatalities and up to 170,000 injuries in the United States each year. And HRIs are taking center stage as more reports confirm the risks and more states enact laws to protect workers.
Though we’ve reported on workers’ comp and climate change in the past, it’s time to take a fresh look at the latest heat-related developments in workers’ comp.
New Reports Bring New Insights
Several new reports on workers and extreme heat were published in 2024, with each offering new insights. In May, WCRI issued a different report that measured the extent to which excessive heat has increased the incidence of work-related injuries. Among the findings:
- HRIs increase by at least sevenfold on days when temperatures exceed 90°F compared to days with temperatures between 75°F and 80°F.
- The probability of work-related accidents increased by 5-6% when the maximum daily temperature rose above 90°F, when compared to a day in the 65-70°F range.
- For construction workers, injury frequency increased 8% in temperatures above 90°F.
Continue reading the article in full online at the Healthesystems blog.
