The Institute of Labor Economics (IZA) published a report that explored the relationship between temperature and workplace safety. Their report proves that when the temperatures rise, the chances of on-the-job injuries rise as well. Hotter temperature increases workplace injuries significantly, causing approximately 20,000 injuries per year.1
Using data gathered from more than 11 million workers’ compensation claims in California (2001-2018), researchers found that injuries increased 6% to 9% on days when the temperature topped 90° F, compared with days when the thermometer read 50-70° F. When temps hit tripledigits, the injury risk increased 10% to 15%.2
Assistant professor of public policy at UCLA and the report’s lead author, R. Jisung Park, said that heat affects our physiology. “It affects your cognition. It affects your body’s ability to cope. It seems possible that what we’re observing in the data for these workers is that they’re more likely to make mistakes or errors in judgment.”3
Heat-related injuries are more common among workers in outdoor industries; however, the data shows that industries in which most people work indoors are also affected. For example, in manufacturing, days with temperatures above 95° have an injury risk that is approximately 7% higher than on days with temperatures in the low 60s. For someone spending the workday at a computer desk, dozing off on a warm summer afternoon isn’t likely to incur an injury. “But if you have a huge chainsaw in your hand, you’re not in a great situation,” Park said. Regardless of where the work occurs, overheated workers face numerous risks.
The team at ACE Rehab is here to guide you after a work injury. We will assist you in navigating insurance claims with the corporation where you were injured and offer you personalized treatment plans to get you back to your pre-injured self. For an in-depth evaluation of your injury, please call (703) 204-0533 or visit www.acerehab.com.
- www.iza.org/publications/dp/14560/temperature-workplace-safety-and-labor-market-inequality
- www.safetyandhealthmagazine.com/articles/21555-hot-weather-significantly-increases-risk-of-on-the-job-injury-researchers-say#:~:text=
- newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/high-temperatures-worker-injury-risk#:~:text=The%20study%20shows%20that%20on,by%2010%25%20to