Workplace protections against heat-related illnesses can also reduce a raft of other on-the-job injuries as temperatures rise.
A new study found that almost 28,000 work injuries occur in the U.S. annually because of heat exposure — but risks to workers becoming sick or being hurt because of fatigue or distraction due to high temperatures are lower in states that have rules requiring heat breaks.
When temperatures and humidity combined rise above 105 degrees Fahrenheit, the odds of workplace injuries rise by 16 percent in states without protections, according to the study by Harvard and the George Washington University. But in five states that had heat rules in 2023 the risk was half as high — or 8 percent.
The research, whose authors include former Occupational Safety and Health Administration chief David Michaels, was released as OSHA considers whether to establish nationwide heat protections that would require employers to give workers access to water, rest and cool places when temperatures exceed a certain level.
