Although construction workers make up only 6% of the total U.S. workforce, they accounted for 36% of all occupational heat‐related deaths from 1992 to 2016—and new research from the Center for Construction Research and Training shows climate change may be a contributor, according to www.ishn.com.
Heat is a severe hazard for construction workers throughout the world and may be worsening as a result of climate change. The authors analyzed heat‐related deaths in the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries to examine this type of death in relation to time, region and temperature and to explore a possible association with climate change.
Findings included:
- Increasing summer temperatures in the contiguous U.S. were associated with higher heat-related death rates.
- The annual number of heat-related deaths in construction rose significantly over time.
- Hispanic workers—in particular, workers born in Mexico—had a higher risk of heat‐related death.
- Roofing workers and helpers were seven times more likely to die from heat than the average construction worker.
- Cement masons were 10 times more likely to die from heat than the average construction worker.
Interventions such as acclimatization, access to water and rest breaks could help reduce the number of heat-related fatalities in the construction industry. According to the authors, enhanced surveillance, as well as improved regulations and enforcement, should accompany broader efforts to combat global warming.
