A recent study published in Health Affairs by researchers at George Washington University and Middlebury College found increased enforcement and subsequent revisions to California’s outdoor heat standard resulted in fewer worker deaths, according to Safety+Health magazine.
The California heat standard was introduced as the first of its kind in the U.S. in 2005, but the researchers said it “was not actively enforced” by the state’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health until 2010.
Researchers examined county-level data from 1999 to 2020 for California and neighboring states (Arizona, Nevada and Oregon). They estimate that during a period of increased enforcement between 2010 and 2014, California experienced a 33% decrease in heat-related deaths among outdoor workers. Additionally, in 2015, California “closed loopholes” related to the enforcement of water, rest and shade, which led to an estimated 51% decline in heat-related deaths during the six-year period ending in 2020.
Researchers said: “These findings demonstrate the urgent need for effective heat legislation at the national or state level to safeguard more workers against rising temperatures."
Be sure to check out NRCA's Heat Illness Prevention web page for information about how to protect your workers in the heat.
