Increased Frequency of Heat Waves, Air Pollution Threaten Outdoor Workers

October 9, 2024

Gallagher report reveals the growing risks heat waves and air pollution pose to the health and safety of outdoor workers.

An estimated 1.6 billion people, over a quarter of the global population, worked outdoors in 2022. However, the increasing frequency and intensity of heat waves, coupled with deteriorating air quality, are making outdoor work increasingly perilous in many parts of the world, according to a recent Gallagher Spotlight report.

Heat waves are becoming more common, intense, and prolonged. In the U.S., their frequency has increased from an average of two heat waves per year during the 1960s to six per year during the 2010s and 2020s, the report noted.

Additionally, heat is the deadliest weather-related hazard in the U.S., causing more fatalities annually than hurricanes, floods, or tornadoes. From 1992 to 2022, a total of 986 workers across all industry sectors in the U.S. died from exposure to heat, according to data from the Environmental Protection Agency.

Some estimates claim as many as 2,000 worker fatalities in the U.S. each year are linked to heat, with up to 170,000 workers injured in heat stress-related accidents, according to the report.

In addition to rising temperatures, the growing frequency of heat waves feeds into the degradation of air quality as wildfires increase in both frequency and intensity, causing smoke particulates and respiratory issues.

“I am concerned about the impact of the recent wildfires on people’s health. I believe there must have been a significant number of people affected by the smoke from wildfires, not only in Canada but also in the U.S.,” said Steve Bowen, chief science officer at Gallagher Re. “The smoke from large fires can travel thousands of miles and affect people globally. It’s even been reported that soot from the Canadian fires reached parts of Europe.”

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