Study Links Extreme Heat to Thousands of Workplace Injuries in U.S.
New nationwide research finds that extreme heat is linked to thousands of workplace injuries each year, underscoring the need for a federal OSHA standard to protect workers.
- By Stasia DeMarco
- Oct 07, 2025
New research published today reveals the hidden toll of work injuries caused by exposure to extreme heat in the United States and supports the creation of a national OSHA standard to protect workers.
The study, led by researchers at George Washington University and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, appears in the journal Environmental Health. The team analyzed OSHA workplace injury data from 48 states.
Researchers found that workplace injury risk begins to climb when the daily heat index reaches about 85 degrees Fahrenheit and rises steeply past 90 degrees. These heat-related injuries occurred across almost all industry sectors, including indoor jobs. States with existing OSHA heat exposure standards showed lower injury risks on hot days.
Nationally, about 28,000 injuries each year can be linked to working on hot days, though researchers say that figure is likely an underestimate because most heat-related injuries are not recorded as such.
“These findings underscore the value of protecting workers from extreme heat,” said David Michaels, senior author and professor at the GW Milken Institute School of Public Health. “A strong OSHA standard will not only prevent heat illness and death but will also prevent thousands of work injuries every year.”
Barrak Alahmad, first author and director of the occupational health and climate change program at Harvard, noted that even moderate heat can increase injury risk.
The study is the first nationwide analysis to model the link between heat and workplace injuries. OSHA has proposed a national standard requiring employers to protect workers from extreme heat.
Read the full study:
https://ehjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12940-025-01098-1
About the Author
Stasia DeMarco is the Content Editor for OH&S.