Heat exhaustion is a major concern that impacts those individuals who work outside. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) protect worker safety. Still, these two divisions of the U.S. Labor Department have not adopted a heat standard for protecting workers from high temperatures. According to joint research by National Public Radio and Columbia Journalism Investigations, there is no real enforcement system when employees die from the heat. The only protection is a 50-year-old regulation that guarantees a relatively safe workplace.
Common issues for heat exhaustion include:
- Lack of ample water
- Lack of ample shade breaks
Many who died of heat exhaustion died during their first week on the job. Two-thirds of the deaths occurred when the temperature was 90 degrees or above. The second largest group died due to hotter-than-average days.
Families can hold companies accountable
Even when workers do not die, heat exhaustion can have severe repercussions and lead to related injuries. The attorneys at Goldstein, Ballen, O’Rourke & Wildstein, P.C. are experienced in investigating these matters and representing heatstroke victims and their families in a workers’ compensation against the employer for not providing a safe workplace or a personal injury claim against other parties at the worksite. Contact us for a free consultation.