The epidemiology of occupational heat exposure in

Authors: Diane M Gubernot G Brooke Anderson Katherine L Hunting

Publish Date: 2013/12/11

Volume: 58, Issue: 8, Pages: 1779-1788

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Abstract

In recent years the United States has experienced recordbreaking summer heat Climate change models forecast increasing US temperatures and more frequent heat wave events in the coming years Exposure to environmental heat is a significant but overlooked workplace hazard that has not been wellcharacterized or studied The working population is diverse job function age fitness level and risk factors to heatrelated illnesses vary Yet few studies have examined or characterized the incidence of occupational heatrelated morbidity and mortality There are no federal regulatory standards to protect workers from environmental heat exposure With climate change as a driver for adaptation and prevention of heat disorders crafting policy to characterize and prevent occupational heat stress for both indoor and outdoor workers is increasingly sensible practical and imperativeThe authors would like to thank David Michaels PhD MPH Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA and Professor on leave in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health The George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services for his valuable review and commentsDiane Gubernot has no financial disclosures and is an employee of the US Food and Drug Administration The content of this manuscript is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the US FDA Dr Hunting has no financial disclosures Dr Anderson has no financial disclosuresDr Anderson was supported by an R21020152 from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences or the National Institutes of Health

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