Heat illness at work: statistics
In 2024, 48 US workers died from exposure to environmental heat, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, compared with 43 in 2022 and 36 in 2021. From 1992 to 2022, 986 workers died from heat exposure on the job, an average of 34 a year, and construction accounted for about 34 percent of those deaths.
Key numbers at a glance
Each figure keeps its source's data year and definition. Fatal counts come from the BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI); nonfatal counts come from the BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII).
| Figure | Data year | Measure | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 48 deaths | 2024 | Fatal work injuries from exposure to environmental heat | BLS CFOI |
| 43 deaths | 2022 | Same measure | BLS CFOI news release |
| 986 deaths, average 34 a year | 1992 to 2022 | Workers in all industries who died from exposure to heat | EPA, from BLS data |
| 1,420 cases | 2021 to 2022 | Private trade, transportation and utilities injuries with at least one day away from work from environmental heat | BLS, The Economics Daily |
| 0.39 vs 0.02 per 100,000 workers | 1992 to 2006 | Heat-related death rate, crop workers vs all US civilian workers | CDC, MMWR |
| 4 of 13 deaths on the first day | 2012 to 2013 | Heat deaths in federal OSHA enforcement cases that occurred on a worker's first day in a new job or after time away | CDC, MMWR |
How many workers die from heat each year?
BLS counts vary from year to year with weather and reporting. The CFOI series for environmental heat shows 61 deaths in 2011, 31 in 2012, 34 in 2013, 18 in 2014, 37 in 2015, 39 in 2016, 32 in 2017, 49 in 2018, 43 in 2019, 56 in 2020 and 36 in 2021. BLS then reported 43 in 2022 and 48 in 2024.
BLS publishes a broader category as well. Exposure to temperature extremes, which includes heat and cold, caused 56 deaths in 2023 and 53 in 2024. BLS reports 436 work-related deaths from environmental heat from 2011 through 2021.
| Year | Deaths from environmental heat (CFOI) |
|---|---|
| 2017 | 32 |
| 2018 | 49 |
| 2019 | 43 |
| 2020 | 56 |
| 2021 | 36 |
| 2022 | 43 |
| 2024 | 48 |
Which industries have the most heat illness?
For nonfatal cases, BLS reports that over the 2021 to 2022 period private trade, transportation and utilities had 1,420 heat injuries requiring at least one day away from work, followed by manufacturing (980), professional and business services (740) and construction (620). Information (340), education and health services (280), leisure and hospitality (280), natural resources and mining (110) and financial activities (60) followed.
Deaths concentrate in outdoor work. EPA, using BLS data, reports that 334 of the 986 heat deaths from 1992 to 2022 were construction workers, about 34 percent. In 2023, BLS found 33.0 percent of workers were exposed to the outdoors as a regular part of their job.
Who is most at risk of heat illness at work?
Agricultural workers face some of the highest rates. A CDC review found that from 1992 to 2006, crop workers died of heat at a rate of 0.39 per 100,000 workers, compared with 0.02 for all US civilian workers. Nearly 60 percent of those crop worker deaths occurred in July.
New and returning workers are especially vulnerable. In a CDC review of 20 federal OSHA heat enforcement cases from 2012 to 2013, 13 involved a death. Four of those deaths occurred on the worker's first day on a new job or after returning from time away, three on the second day and two on the third. All of the illnesses and deaths occurred on days with a heat index between 84.0°F and 105.7°F, and CDC identified failure to support acclimatization as the most common deficiency.
What is the status of OSHA's heat rule?
OSHA has been developing a federal standard titled Heat Injury and Illness Prevention in Outdoor and Indoor Work Settings. It published an advance notice in October 2021 and a proposed rule on August 30, 2024. The comment period closed January 14, 2025, an informal public hearing began June 16, 2025, and the extended post-hearing comment period ended October 30, 2025.
As of September 2026, no final rule has been issued. OSHA's entry in the federal regulatory agenda lists a supplemental proposed rule for December 2026 and final action for October 2027. Agenda dates are projections and often shift.
How we compiled these numbers
We used the BLS CFOI for deaths, BLS SOII figures as published in The Economics Daily for nonfatal cases, the EPA heat-related workplace deaths feature built on BLS data, CDC MMWR reviews for risk groups, and the federal regulatory agenda and OSHA rulemaking page for the rule's status. A 2023 figure for environmental heat alone was not in the BLS pages we could open, so only the broader temperature-extremes count is shown for that year. We did not add or estimate any totals. This page is updated each winter, with a check on the rule's status.
When to get help
Confusion, fainting, hot dry skin or seizures in a worker exposed to heat are signs of a medical emergency: call for help and start cooling right away. Workers with ongoing symptoms or health conditions that affect heat tolerance should talk to a clinician.
Key takeaways
BLS recorded 48 worker deaths from environmental heat in 2024, 43 in 2022 and 36 in 2021.
From 1992 to 2022, 986 US workers died from heat on the job, and construction accounted for about 34 percent.
Over 2021 to 2022, trade, transportation and utilities had the most private industry heat injuries with days away (1,420).
Crop workers and workers in their first days on the job face markedly higher risk.
OSHA's heat rule was proposed in August 2024; the regulatory agenda lists a supplemental proposal for December 2026 and final action for October 2027.
Frequently asked questions
How many workers die from heat each year in the US?
BLS counted 48 deaths from environmental heat at work in 2024, 43 in 2022 and 36 in 2021. From 1992 to 2022 the total was 986, an average of 34 a year, according to EPA's review of BLS data.
Which industry has the most heat-related deaths?
Construction. EPA reports that 334 of the 986 heat deaths from 1992 to 2022, about 34 percent, were construction workers. Agricultural crop workers have among the highest death rates relative to their numbers.
Why are new workers at higher risk of heat illness?
Their bodies have not yet adjusted to working in heat, a process called acclimatization. In a CDC review of OSHA heat cases from 2012 to 2013, four of 13 deaths occurred on the first day on a new job or after time away, three on the second day and two on the third.
Is there a federal OSHA heat standard?
Not yet. OSHA proposed a heat injury and illness prevention standard on August 30, 2024, and as of September 2026 no final rule had been issued.
Are heat illness statistics undercounted?
Official counts only include cases recorded as heat exposure. Heat can contribute to other injuries, such as falls or vehicle crashes, that BLS classifies under a different event, so the heat-exposure totals do not capture every heat-related harm.
Related reading
Sources
Fatal occupational injuries by event or exposure, 2024 (chart), US Bureau of Labor Statistics, CFOI
National Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries in 2022 (news release), US Bureau of Labor Statistics
36 work-related deaths due to environmental heat exposure in 2021, US Bureau of Labor Statistics, The Economics Daily
It's summer and it's hot on the job, US Bureau of Labor Statistics, The Economics Daily
A Closer Look: Heat-Related Workplace Deaths, US Environmental Protection Agency
Heat-Related Deaths Among Crop Workers, United States, 1992 to 2006, CDC, MMWR
Heat Illness and Death Among Workers, United States, 2012 to 2013, CDC, MMWR
Heat Injury and Illness Prevention in Outdoor and Indoor Work Settings (RIN 1218-AD39), Unified Agenda entry, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, reginfo.gov
About HEATJAC. HEATJAC is a thermal architecture company founded by an anesthesiologist. We design patented garment systems that capture, conduct and broaden warmth across the body, and we publish this knowledge hub because the science of staying warm should be public. HEATJAC products are not medical devices and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.