Hot Weather and Maryland Work Injuries
As hot weather becomes the norm once again in Maryland and throughout the East Coast, it is important for workers — and especially those who primarily perform their jobs outdoors — to understand the risks of heat in relation to work-related injuries and illnesses. According to the National Weather Service, average temperatures in the Baltimore area reach high 70s and low 80s Fahrenheit during the summer months, and those are just averages — many days are significantly hotter. When there is also high humidity and workers are exposed to direct sunlight for a prolonged period, they can experience significant harm.
According to a recent study by researchers from the George Washington University and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, workplace exposures to “extreme heat” may be even more dangerous than previously suspected. That research, published in the journal Environmental Health, suggests close attention to heat safety standards provided by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and that particular types of workers take additional precautions to avoid heat-related injuries.
Getting the Facts About Extreme Heat and Hot Weather Among Injured Workers
What constitutes “extreme heat” for the purposes of workplace injury risk, and how does hot weather cause harm to workers? The following information was published in Environmental Health by the researchers cited above:
- When the daily heat index reaches 85 degrees Fahrenheit, work injuries climb noticeably, and work injuries rise “steeply” once the daily heat index reaches 90 degrees Fahrenheit;
- Approximately 28,000 heat-related work injuries are recorded each year due to hot weather;
- Extreme heat is linked to fatal heatstroke, as well as nonfatal but debilitating heat-related illnesses;
- Workplaces that comply with OSHA heat exposure standards have lower rates of heat-related injuries, suggesting that the safety standards are at least in part effective; and
- Work-related heat illnesses and injuries can occur across sectors, including when jobs are done fully or just partially outdoors.
Types of Professions and Work with the Highest Rates of Heat-Related Illness and Injury
In what types of jobs are workers at the greatest risk of sustaining heat-related illnesses and injuries as a result of hot weather or extreme heat? The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics cites the following professions and industries:
- Construction work, especially roofers and asphalt workers;
- Agriculture and farming;
- Landscaping;
- Warehousing; and
- Public safety workers.
Contact a Maryland Workers’ Compensation Attorney for Assistance Seeking Compensation After a Hot Weather Work Injury or Illness
If you or someone you love was working in hot weather and suffered any type of heat-related injury or illness, it may be compensable through the Maryland workers’ compensation system. As we discussed above, research emphasizes that hot weather in particular — though extreme weather in general — can take a toll on workers, especially those outdoors, and can have serious health-related consequences. In order to obtain workers’ compensation benefits after a heat-related work injury, you will need to show that your injury arose out of and occurred in the court of your employment. One of the experienced Maryland workers’ compensation attorneys at the Law Offices of Steinhardt, Siskind and Lieberman, LLC can assist you with this process. Contact our firm today to get started on your workers’ compensation claim.
Source:
publichealth.gwu.edu/nearly-28000-work-injuries-every-year-are-linked-hot-weather
