Extreme heat is becoming an increasingly serious workplace hazard in California, particularly for workers in physically demanding industries.

According to a study from the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, California recorded 5,925 emergency department visits for work-related heat illness between 2016 and 2023. The state’s annual rate of reported occupational heat illness nearly doubled between 2000 and 2022, demonstrating that workplace protections and enforcement must keep pace with rising temperatures and longer heat seasons.

The danger is especially severe in regions where extreme temperatures overlap with agriculture, construction and other outdoor work. Imperial County recorded 33.5 occupational heat-related emergency visits per 100,000 workers, much higher than the statewide rate of 4.3. Madera, Shasta and Kings counties also reported substantially elevated rates. Farmworkers, construction crews, delivery drivers, landscapers and public works employees are most at risk, as they are the most likely to perform strenuous labor in direct sunlight with limited opportunities to rest or cool down.

Latino workers bear a disproportionate share of these dangers. Public health data show that occupational heat-related emergency visits are concentrated among male, Latino and younger workers, reflecting their heavy representation in high-exposure industries. In 2024, Latino workers accounted for 51% of all fatal workplace injuries in California, compared with 24 percent nationally. Although that figure includes workplace fatalities from all causes, it reflects the broader safety inequities confronting Latino workers across the state. That disparity is further reflected in research published by the Journal of the American Medical Association, which found that Latino workers in California experienced workplace injury rates that were 90% higher than those of White workers.  

Indoor workers also face serious heat risks. Warehouses, commercial kitchens, laundries and manufacturing facilities can become dangerously hot due to machinery, ovens, poor airflow and heat trapped inside buildings. Yet California’s dedicated indoor heat standard did not take effect until July 2024, nearly two decades after the state adopted protections for outdoor workers. Even where heat rules exist, enforcement remains a major concern, as only 20% of surveyed workers reported no employer monitoring, while 43% did not know of a workplace heat plan.

The documented cases likely represent only a portion of the true harm because many workers are treated at work or at home, or their illness is never recorded as job-related. Employers must do more than maintain a heat plan on paper. They must provide water, shade or cool-down areas, proper training, reasonable rest periods and close monitoring without discouraging workers from reporting symptoms.

No worker should have to risk serious illness, permanent injury or death simply to earn a living.

This opinion by the California Applicants' Attorneys Association communications team is republished, with permission, from the CAAA website.