Between 2011 and 2019, 344 people died from work-related heat exposure, according to the most recent Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Roughly 42%, or 144, of those fatalities were of workers in construction, repair or cleaning.
Between 2015 and 2020, OSHA conducted about 200 heat-related inspections each year, with about 15 heat-related fatality inspections, often resulting in citations. Nevertheless, the number of fatalities may be underreported, as the cause of death can be listed as a heart attack, even if it was brought on by heat exposure.
