1-in-4 Floridians vulnerable to extreme heat: report

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — A new report suggests one in four Floridians who work outdoors are vulnerable to extreme heat, according to the Florida Policy Institute (FPI).

FPI said it analyzed data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Census Bureau, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and found that Florida workers have “little reprieve from the extreme heat.”

“These Floridians work in myriad roles — as landscapers, amusement park attendants, construction workers, and agricultural workers, to name a few,” Alexis Tsoukalad, PhD, and research assistant Adriana Sela wrote in an executive summary. “Given a lack of state and federal mandates, plus a new law blocking cities and counties from implementing their own, the choice to protect working Floridians from heat-related illness is ultimately up to employers.”

FPI highlighted the following from the report:

• An estimated 490,710 Floridians work in outdoor jobs.
• Florida’s top three outdoor industries are construction, amusement and recreation, and landscaping.
• 5,750,273 Floridians (26.2 percent) are highly vulnerable to extreme heat. In 20 counties, more than a third of residents are.
• Florida has the highest rates of heat-related illness in the U.S., with the most recent data showing 31,011 emergency room visits and hospitalizations between 2018 and 2022.

Heat and Heat-Related Illness

The report details heat-related illness (HRI), saying the term is a catch-all for people’s different responses to heat. The responses range from heat rash to exhaustion to heat strokes, which the report says can be fatal.

Data from the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) shows that Florida had higher-than-average temperatures throughout 2023, with May, June, September, October, and November showing temperatures less than two degrees above average.

2023 also saw the hottest day in Earth’s recorded history, the report shows.

Major Florida cities also felt the heat. Key West, Tampa, Miami, Orlando, and Tallahassee surpassed their July and August averages by two to three degrees while Pensacola did so by over five degrees.

The report shows the trend continuing in 2024, with data showing average June temperature is two degrees higher than in 2023.

Hospital Visits Due to HRI

Data from the CDC shows Florida tops the nation in emergency room visits and admissions in patients 15 and older due to HRI.

Between 2018 and 2022, Florida saw over 26,000 ER visits and almost 5,000 hospitalizations due to HRI. An estimated 150 Floridians died due to the condition between 2017 and 2021, which ranks sixth in the nation (Arizona is first).

The report suggests HRI is underestimated, claiming workers likely fail to report HRI to supervisors for fear of retaliation or lack of meaningful follow-through. This makes repeated HRI more likely, FPI said.

What Workers Are Most at Risk?

Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics show most outdoor workers in Florida are in fields related to landscaping (82,770), construction (69,690 for workers, 61,880 for supervisors), and amusement and recreation parks (47,970).

The report also says labor inequality research shows Black and Hispanic workers are most at risk, claiming they die while at work at much higher rates than other groups. Men are also three times more likely to suffer from HRI at work than women.

The report makes claims that HRI hurts employers as well as employees, citing reduced labor productivity as a major contributing factor. FPI said Florida loses an estimated $11 billion annually due to productivity issues caused by HRI.

Finally, low-wage workers are particularly prone to HRI, with the Institute of Labor Economics citing findings that workers in the bottom 20% of wage earners suffer five times as many HRI’s than those in the top 20%.

In April, Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill banning local governments from implementing heat protection laws for outdoor workers.

To download the full FPI report, visit their website .

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