If you work in construction, landscaping, roofing, agriculture or warehouses, you face real danger when temperatures climb during the summer. While Missouri has no state-specific heat safety regulations for workers, federal guidelines reflect the very real risk of injury and illness related to working in extreme conditions and heat.
Types of heat-related workplace injuries
Working in extreme heat can cause several dangerous medical conditions, especially when workers do not receive adequate treatment.
- Heat exhaustion occurs when your body loses too much water and salt through sweating. Without treatment, heat exhaustion can escalate to heat stroke.
- Heat stroke is a medical emergency. Your body temperature rises above 104 degrees, and you may stop sweating entirely. Confusion, slurred speech and loss of consciousness are common. Heat stroke can cause permanent organ damage, brain injury or death.
- Heat cramps are painful muscle spasms caused by heavy sweating and electrolyte loss.
- Heat syncope is sudden dizziness or fainting from standing too long in the heat. Falls from heat syncope can cause additional injuries like fractures or head trauma.
A worker suffering from a serious heat-related injury or illness may be eligible for workers’ compensation in Missouri. Benefits can cover emergency treatment, hospitalization, follow-up care and lost wages.
Know your rights to protect yourself
Employers and insurers might sometimes claim heat illness was a pre-existing condition or that your symptoms didn’t start at work. Others dispute the severity of what happened. To combat potential pushback and denial of workers’ compensation benefits, you can:
- Document your working conditions. Note the temperature, whether you had access to water and shade, and what your supervisor told you about breaks.
- If you start feeling symptoms, report them immediately to create a record.
- Seek medical attention right away. The medical records linking your illness to work conditions become crucial evidence.
Too often, workers downplay their symptoms or are too scared to pursue benefits for fear of retaliation on the job. However, it is unlawful for employers to punish workers who request workers’ compensation benefits.
If heat makes you sick or leads to an accident at work, take your health and safety seriously. Workers’ compensation exists to protect you when workplace conditions cause injury or illness. Heat-related injuries can be legitimate workplace injuries, and knowing the risks helps you protect yourself.