Florida Heat and Worker Safety
Key Themes:
- Extreme Heat as a Growing Threat:
- Florida is experiencing increasingly severe and frequent heat waves, exacerbated by climate change and warming oceans.
- The heat index, which factors in both temperature and humidity, is reaching dangerous levels. South Florida is particularly hard hit, experiencing a much greater number of days with heat indexes above 105F than in previous years.
- "The climate crisis is making Florida hotter – and more humid." ("3 heat.pdf")
- Data shows record-breaking temperatures across Florida, with 2023 having some of the hottest months on record, and 2024 seeing record April and May temperatures.
- "Last year tied as the hottest ever, with July and August 2023 both breaking monthly records. So far this year, Florida has recorded its hottest ever April and May..." ("3 heat.pdf")
- Vulnerable Outdoor Workers:
- A significant portion of Florida's workforce is exposed to extreme heat while working outdoors. Estimates range from 25% to 26.2% of the workforce. This includes landscaping, construction, agricultural, and amusement park workers.
- "A new report suggests one in four Floridians who work outdoors are vulnerable to extreme heat, according to the Florida Policy Institute (FPI)." ("3 hot.pdf")
- Many of these workers are low-wage, migrant workers from Mexico, Central America, Cuba and Haiti, with less access to information and resources.
- "Florida has an estimated 1.8 million outdoor workers, predominantly migrants, who are exposed to increasingly brutal weather conditions..." ("3 heat.pdf")
- "The heat makes you feel like you’re suffocating," said Raimundo Perdigon, 58, from Cuba, recalling a recent job building an outdoor bathroom. ("3 heat.pdf")
- Indigenous Guatemalan workers, some of whom speak little English or Spanish, are particularly vulnerable due to difficulty accessing health information and advice.
