Summers in North Carolina are growing hotter, with extreme heat events becoming longer, more frequent, and more intense with each passing year. Excessive heat can pose a dangerous risk for employees who work outside or in non-climate-controlled environments, especially in the already hot and humid summer seasons of the Carolinas. Moreover, its effects can cost employers as well as their workers.
The Higher the Heat, the Higher the Cost
A recent study of workers in North Carolina found that approximately 1.7 million – or about 27 percent of the North Carolina workforce – face high risks from extreme heat. Looking at the agricultural, construction, trucking, and commercial enterprise (for example, warehousing and gas station attendants) industries, the study found a positive correlation between hours worked with a heat index exceeding 90 degrees and North Carolina employers’ workers’ compensation claims for lost wage benefits.
Understanding Heat-Related Illnesses
Working in hot, humid, or poorly ventilated areas puts employees at risk of heat-related illnesses, especially when they do not get breaks or access to water or places to cool down. This exposure can cause the body to overheat, leading to illnesses or medical emergencies such as heat cramps, dehydration, sunburns, and heatstroke.
Research shows that 50% to 70% of outdoor heat fatalities occur in the first few days of working in warm or hot environments because the body needs time to acclimatize to heat. Lack of acclimatization represents a major risk factor for fatal outcomes. In some cases, heat-related illnesses can become fatal. Heat can cause heat stroke and even death if not treated properly and promptly.
Excessive heat also exacerbates existing health conditions like asthma, kidney failure, and heart disease. Certain groups may be more vulnerable, including pregnant workers, while workers of color are disproportionately exposed to hazardous heat levels, as they are more often employed in essential jobs with a high risk of heat exposure. If your loved one died because of unsafe working conditions, a wrongful death attorney in Charlotte can help you seek accountability and compensation.
Common Causes of Heat Exposure in the Workplace
Some of the most common causes of heat exposure-related illnesses or health emergencies at work include:
- Outdoor work during excessive heat events
- Indoor work in poorly ventilated areas, especially when working around equipment or machinery that generates heat
- Use of personal protective equipment and clothing, especially in hot or poorly ventilated areas, that prevents heat dissipation
- Lack of breaks or access to shaded or air-conditioned environments
- Inadequate training for workers to recognize the signs of heat exposure and respond appropriately
- Heavy physical workload that generates internal body heat
- Insufficient water access or water that isn’t cool enough
- Failure to implement heat acclimatization programs for new or returning workers
What Jobs Are at Risk?
Jobs that involve working outside or in enclosed spaces with poor or no ventilation and climate control have an increased risk for extreme heat at work. Certain heat-generating processes, machinery, and equipment (such as hot tar ovens, furnaces, and industrial ovens) can also create hazardous heat conditions when cooling measures are not in place. These risks are only increasing as heat events become more prolonged, more frequent, and more severe.
Some examples of jobs and industries that experience the most significant impacts from extreme heat include:
- Farm workers and agricultural laborers
- Construction workers
- Roofers
- Painters
- Utility workers
- Landscapers
- Truck drivers
- Package delivery workers
- Emergency medical technicians
- Warehouse workers
- Waste collection workers
- Foundry workers
- Bakery employees
- Steel mill workers
- Manufacturing workers near heat-generating equipment
- Commercial enterprise workers (gas station attendants, car wash employees)
Know Your Rights as an Employee
As of now, neither North Carolina nor the federal government has enacted workplace safety regulations specifically targeting extreme heat exposure, though OSHA proposed a new Heat Injury and Illness Prevention Standard in 2024 that would require employers across all major industries to create formal heat hazard prevention plans. Even without a heat-specific standard in place, North Carolina workers have the right to demand a workplace that does not jeopardize their health due to extreme temperatures. You also deserve to request a break if you begin to overheat due to high temperatures.
If you suffer illnesses or health complications from exposure to excessive heat at work, you may also have the right to file a claim for workers’ compensation benefits. Our workers’ compensation lawyer can help you pursue your claim. We can also help you demand safety protection and compensation for your medical bills and lost wages.
Are you in need of a workers’ compensation lawyer in North Carolina or a workers’ compensation lawyer in South Carolina? Contact Stewart Law Offices today for a free, no-obligation consultation to discuss your legal options with a workers’ compensation attorney in NC and SC.