New Florida Heat Lab Targets Construction Worker Safety
A Jacksonville-based facility will study how extreme heat affects outdoor workforces as federal regulators increase safety inspections.
- By Jesse Jacobs
- May 18, 2026
A climate-controlled research facility at the University of North Florida will study how extreme heat affects outdoor workers and test wearable devices meant to detect heat-related illness.
The Perry Weather Heat Lab, the first satellite site of the University of Connecticut’s Korey Stringer Institute, will use environmental chambers to simulate high temperature and humidity and assess physiological responses during work tasks common in construction, the organizations said. Researchers plan to focus on older and more diverse occupational populations than those typically studied in athlete- and military-focused research.
The lab’s work comes as regulators increase attention on heat hazards. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, for instance, renewed a Heat Stress National Emphasis Program in 2026, and a survey of construction firms found five to 10 heat-stress incidents per job site last year.
About the Author
Jesse Jacobs is assistant editor of OHSOnline.com.