Study links extreme heat to higher work disability risk for older, marginalized workers
Older workers — particularly Black, Latino and low-income individuals — face a significantly higher risk of work disability due to extreme heat exposure, according to a new Rutgers Health study conducted in collaboration with the City University of New York.
The study, published in Generations, examined how heat-sensitive jobs contribute to health-related work limitations among adults aged 50 and older. Researchers analyzed nationally representative data and found that workers in outdoor occupations, such as agriculture and construction, or in poorly climate-controlled indoor environments, are more likely to report heat-related health limitations.
“Extreme heat is not just an environmental issue, it’s a health and workforce issue,” said Mara Getz Sheftel, an instructor at the Rutgers Center for State Health Policy at the Institute for Health, Health Care Policy and Aging Research and the study’s lead author. “Our findings show that marginalized populations are more likely to be exposed to heat on the job and to suffer long-term health consequences.”
The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that 33 percent of the civilian workforce holds jobs requiring outdoor exposure. Many of these positions are filled by men, immigrants and individuals of lower socioeconomic status, groups that are also more likely to have underlying conditions such as obesity or diabetes.
The study also found disparities in access to workplace protections and health care. Workers in informal or temporary jobs — such as delivery drivers or street vendors — frequently lack employer-sponsored insurance and may fall outside existing heat-related safety regulations.
While some states and municipalities have adopted local rules to address occupational heat exposure, the study’s authors said federal action is urgently needed. Proposed Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulations would require employers to provide water, rest breaks and heat illness prevention plans, but they have not yet been enacted.
“Without comprehensive protections, we risk leaving behind the workers who are most vulnerable to heat-related health impacts,” Sheftel said, who also teaches in the Department of Health, Behavior, Society and Policy at the Rutgers School of Public Health.
Researchers recommended policy measures such as strengthened workplace safeguards, expanded access to disability and health insurance, and vocational training for those unable to continue in heat-exposed jobs.
Coauthors include Jennifer Brite of Hunter College and Na Yin and Deborah Balk of Baruch College, all affiliated with the CUNY Institute for Demographic Research.
