Heat Injuries Among Construction Workers
Construction work poses serious injury risks to workers at all times of the year due to hazards associated with scaffolding, cranes, trenching, heavy machinery, and much more. Yet the summer months in Maryland can be particularly dangerous for construction workers due to the possibility of extremely high temperatures and heat-related injuries. Construction does not stop because of high humidity to high temperatures, and construction workers often are not prepared to be doing physical labor outdoors, without shade, for full workdays. When a heat-related injury does occur, it is important for the injured construction worker to know that they may be eligible to obtain workers’ compensation benefits.
What Are Heat Injuries Among Construction Workers?
Construction workers (or any type of workers who perform regular work outdoors during the summer months, especially involving physical labor) are at high risk of heat-related injuries when outdoor temperatures are high. Indeed, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “construction workers exposed to hot environments or extreme heat can be at risk of heat-related illnesses (HRIs) and injuries. What are heat-related illnesses?
According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, heat-related illnesses are those caused by “exposure to abnormal or prolonged amounts of heat and humidity without relief or adequate fluid intake.” There are three different kinds of heat-related illnesses, which include the following in order from least to most severe:
- Heat cramps (the mildest type of heat illness that consists of “painful muscle cramps and spasms” that result from “intense exercise and sweating in high heat”);
- Heat exhaustion (a more serious heat illness than heat cramps but not the most serious type of heat illness, heat exhaustion “occurs when the body is unable to cool itself proper and, if left untreated, can progress to heat stroke”); and
- Heat stroke (the most serious type of heat illness that involves the body being “overwhelmed by excessive heat” and is considered a medical emergency).
Heat Stress, Heat Strain, and the Risk of HRIs on Construction Sites
The CDC explains that construction workers are commonly at risk for heat stress and heat strain in the summer, which result from a combination of outdoor physical activity in the heat and the required safety clothing and PPE for construction workers. All of these together lead to “an increase in the body’s heat storage,” which is known as heat stress. The body can have a physiological response to heat stress, which is an attempt to “maintain a stable body temperature” that is known as heat strain.
When a construction worker is not properly trained about necessary responses to heat stress and heat strain, or is not provided an opportunity to attend to heat stress and heat strain, they can develop HRIs.
Contact Our Maryland Construction Worker Injury Lawyers for Assistance Today
If you developed a heat-related illness while performing construction work, or if your loved one died from heat stroke as a result of construction work, it is essential to find out about workers’ compensation coverage. One of the experienced Maryland construction worker injury attorneys at the Law Offices of Steinhardt, Siskind and Lieberman, LLC can speak with you today about seeking compensation after a devastating heat-related illness on a construction site. Contact our firm for more information.
Sources:
hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/heatrelated-illnesses-heat-cramps-heat-exhaustion-heat-stroke
blogs.cdc.gov/niosh-science-blog/2020/05/21/heat-stress-construction/
