Did you know that construction crews face a disproportionate risk from extreme heat compared to almost any other industry? Construction workers make up only about 6 percent of the U.S. workforce, but they’ve accounted for more than a third of all occupational heat-related deaths recorded between 1992 and 2016. More recently, OSHA investigated over a thousand heat-related injuries, illnesses, and fatalities across U.S. workplaces between 2017 and 2022, including more than 200 fatalities.
This is a big part of why commercial contractors restructure their schedules in July. Concrete pours, roofing, and other exposed exterior work often start at sunrise to avoid working through the hottest, most humid part of the day. Crews get built-in hydration breaks, and supervisors watch for early signs of heat stress rather than waiting for someone to feel sick.
If you’re planning a commercial project this summer, it’s worth asking your contractor how they manage crew safety and scheduling around heat. A contractor with a real plan for it tends to also be the one who keeps your project on track.