The Time Is Now To Protect People From Heat
By Brett Perkison and Trey Conner
May 26th marked Heat Awareness Day. The summer heat is nearly upon us, and by all accounts, this summer could be a scorcher. As the temperatures begin to climb, we must all remember: heat can harm our health or even kill. Our backgrounds in occupational medicine as a medical doctor and as a professional in the drilling and construction business has given us both first hand experience with the health effects of heat stress.
Across the US, more than 700 people die each year due to heat-related illness, and about a third of those deaths occur in Texas. Anyone who has spent July in Texas knows that the heat here can be brutal. Our high summer temperatures and the fact that many workers are employed in manual outdoor types of work, often without heat stress prevention measures in place, can help explain why Texas is among the leading states in deaths from heat-related injuries.
From 2011–2019, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports 344 worker-related deaths in the U.S. were due to environmental heat exposure. Workplace safety experts believe the actual number of heat-related fatalities may be underreported or misreported as another cause, such as heart attacks. Research on heat-related fatalities reported to OSHA indicates up to 70% of outdoor fatalities occur in the first few days of working in a warm environment and could have been prevented by putting in place a procedure of gradually introducing workers to a hot environment. Clearly, more protections need to be in place to protect workers from heat-related illnesses.
When I, Trey, worked in the oil fields, the heat could be miserable. Experiencing 100°F+ temperatures while decked out in personal protective equipment, sometimes in enclosed environments with no air flow, left little room for error when it came to heat-related illness. While I fortunately never experienced heat stroke or another serious heat-related condition, I remember looking over at my coworkers and seeing them pause, looking confused. Some would report feeling dizzy. These were often signs that the heat was starting to get to them.
The safest employers that I worked with mandated regular breaks and provided hydration stations, fans, misters, and even electrolyte popsicles to keep workers out of danger. We were encouraged to monitor the color of our urine to ensure that we remained hydrated. In environments with a less robust approach to worker safety, a co-worker buddy system was imperative in order to remain safe.
When it comes to heat, workers are certainly amongst the most vulnerable. However, many other Texans are also vulnerable to heat, including children, the elderly, the infirm, athletes, and the houseless population. Furthermore, current research indicates that disadvantaged groups — particularly low income communities and communities of color — tend to suffer more from heat exposure than whiter, wealthier communities.
Another group of people who are regularly exposed to heat are those who ride buses and trains. Taking public transit is an important way to access affordable transportation and can reduce pollution associated with poor air quality and climate change. During the summer heat, we encourage transit riders to take precautions to remain safe, including drinking water, wearing sunscreen and a hat or visor to provide skin protection and shade, wear loose-fitting light-colored clothing for better breathability and heat reflection, and bring a fan to assist in cooling.
Finding strategies to better protect people in their homes is also crucial. About 22% of Texans experience a high energy burden, meaning that they spend a significant portion of their monthly income on energy. People on fixed incomes, including the elderly, can struggle to afford high electricity bills during the summer months. During the times when air conditioning is needed the most, a struggling family may opt to go without power in order to put food on the table. Clearly, no one should have to choose between remaining protected from the heat and having enough food to eat.
A way to address this issue is by ramping up holistic weatherization and energy efficiency retrofit programs that can reduce costs for people who are vulnerable to the impacts of heat in their homes. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act are providing substantial amounts of funding for programs just like that. We call on our local officials to take full advantage of these funding opportunities in order to better protect Texans from heat and other extreme weather. To learn more about how heat impacts your health, you can read the Coalition for Environment, Equity, and Resilience’s 2023 Heat Stress report.
Recent studies indicate that global temperatures will, at least briefly, exceed the United Nation’s 1.5° target by 2027. Now is the time to ensure better protections from heat for workers and residents. Encourage your elected officials to take action now. Otherwise, even more of us will struggle with heat-related health concerns.
William “Brett” Perkison, M.D. is an occupational and environmental medicine physician practicing in the Houston area. Trey Connor has over 20 years of experience working outdoors on rigs and at construction sites.
