When You’re Hot, You’re Hot: The Impact of Heat on Workplace Injuries

Hot enough for ya? Guest Sebastian Negrusa Ph.D. is a researcher at the Workers’ Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) and the co-author of the recent WCRI study “Impact of Excessive Heat on the Frequency of Work-Related Injuries.”

What role does excessive heat in the workplace play in employee injuries? Turns out, it’s a lot. In temperatures of more than 90 degrees, the risk of injury on the job increases by a significant 5%-6%. Excessive heat, the study finds, impairs both cognitive and physical abilities, leaving workers more likely to make mental and physical errors and suffer injuries at work. 

Part of an employer’s duty is to prevent injuries at the workplace, and Negrusa’s study aims to help employers better understand the added risk in high-temperature environments. Some states and the federal government are currently looking at workplace heat standards and safeguards. 

Hear what occupations and employee groups are most vulnerable to these stressors and how employers can protect workers on the job (and what Workers’ Comp attorneys need to look for when representing injured workers). 

If you have thoughts on Workers’ Comp law or an idea for a topic or guest you’d like to hear, contact us at [email protected] or [email protected]. 

Mentioned in This Episode

“Impact of Excessive Heat on the Frequency of Work-Related Injuries,” WCRI, by Sebastian Negrusa, Olesya Fomenko, Vennela Thumula

“Heat-Related Illnesses in the Workplace—A WCRI FlashReport,” WCRI, by Vennela Thumula, Olesya Fomenko

“Florida Blocks Heat Protections for Workers Right Before Summer,” NPR

“‘It’s Getting Hotter’: Bill Aims to Implement Strategies to Protect Outdoor Workers in High Temps,” Boston 25 News