Whether you were in the Midwest, the South or even the Northeast, you probably felt the effects as a climate change-fueled heat wave spread across large parts of the U.S. last month, bringing record-high and high-low temperatures. Forecasters pointed to a weather phenomenon called a “heat dome,” where a stalled high-pressure system in the upper atmosphere trapped warm air beneath.
The arrival of intense heat so early in the summer was a surprise to some, but forecasters have said that July is likely to bring more of the same and that such heat waves are part of a “new normal” as climate change brings more extreme weather events. In New Jersey, where I live, train lines ground to a halt as a brush fire and strained infrastructure combined to disrupt service, leaving commuters stranded. Meanwhile, heat-related visits to emergency rooms spiked.
The U.S. wasn’t the only country affected, as parts of Canada, Mexico, India and Saudi Arabia were also hit by heatwaves, leading to many reports of heat-related illnesses and fatalities. In Paris, athletes have been warned to expect intense heat at the Summer Olympics, which begin in a few weeks. Risks range from sunburn and heat cramps to heat exhaustion and even collapse from heatstroke, which is life-threatening.
High temperatures kill hundreds of people every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More than 2,300 people in the U.S. died of heat-related illnesses last year — the highest number in 45 years of recordkeeping, an Associated Press analysis of CDC data found. That was up from about 1,700 heat-related fatalities in 2022 and 1,600 in 2021. Older adults, young people, and those with pre-existing health conditions are particularly vulnerable. Heat-related illnesses such as heat exhaustion or heatstroke happen when the body cannot properly cool.
For employers and insurers, the effects of rising heat-related illnesses and claims are a growing concern. California’s insurance department reports that in the past decade, extreme heat waves have cost the state at least $7.7 billion in lost labor productivity, costs related to power outages, infrastructure repairs and premature deaths. In the workplace, the probability of work-related accidents increases by 5% to 6% when the temperature rises above 90 degrees compared with 65 to 70 degrees, according to the Workers Compensation Research Institute. The effect of workplace heat is stronger in the southern U.S. and on workers in the construction industry, WCRI found.
As regulators intensify their focus on workplace heat safety practices, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration works toward a standard to protect workers in outdoor and indoor settings from the risk of heat illnesses, employers need to be prepared. Though workers can adapt or acclimatize to excessive heat, and many employers take precautions in summer months to provide hydration stations, modify shifts and monitor employees, heat protections for workers are all over the map; clearly, more needs to be done. With a changing climate, hot temperatures aren’t about to let up, and more safeguards will be needed. While the proposed OSHA regulation will face opposition, preventing work-related deaths, injuries and illnesses caused by excessive heat exposure is critical. Insurers and risk managers have a key role in promoting heat safety.
