As heatwaves get longer, hotter, and more common in the United States, a new study cautions that older workers face serious and generally underestimated health hazards. Rutgers Health researchers, in collaboration with the City University of New York (CUNY), discovered that persons over the age of 50—particularly Black, Latino, and low-income workers—are becoming more sensitive to work-related disability as a result of extreme heat. 

According to the study, published in the journal Generations, workers in heat-sensitive industries are considerably more likely to report health constraints that interfere with their capacity to perform. These roles include outside jobs like agriculture and construction, as well as poorly ventilated indoor locations with insufficient cooling systems. Men, immigrants, and individuals with poor socioeconomic status make up a major proportion of these positions, and many have comorbidities like obesity, hypertension, or diabetes, which exacerbate heat-related hazards. 

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labour Statistics' Occupational Requirement Survey, approximately one-third of civilian workers—or 33 percent—have a job that needs regular outside exposure. Physical stress and long-term health decline burden these workers as temperatures continue to rise. 

"Extreme heat is not just an environmental issue; it's a health and workforce issue," said Mara Getz Sheftel, the study's primary author and a Rutgers Centre for State Health Policy lecturer. She underlined that elderly and underprivileged workers are more likely to be exposed to heat in the workplace, which increases their risk of long-term injury. 

The study also highlights significant disparities in employment protections. Many informal or temporary workers, such as delivery drivers and street sellers, lack employer-provided health insurance and may be exempt from safety rules. As a result, they work in extreme heat with no guaranteed access to rest breaks, shade, or clean drinking water. 

Researchers believe that tougher national policies are urgently required, despite several states and localities enacting local restrictions to minimise occupational heat exposure. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has proposed regulations requiring companies to offer water, rest breaks, and preventative programs for heat-related illnesses, but these measures are still pending. 

The authors advocate for a broader range of preventive measures, such as improved workplace safety, more disability financing, universal access to health insurance, and vocational training for people who are no longer able to undertake heat-exposed tasks. 

Jennifer Brite, Na Yin, and Deborah Baulk from the CUNY Institute for Demographic Research contributed to the study.