Fire and Ice: What Do We Know about Jobs Involving Exposure to Outdoor Elements?

Tuesday, August 22, 2023

The Robert Frost poem "Fire and Ice" begins with these words:

Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.

At BLS, we have two programs that look at workers exposed to outdoor elements, including “fire and ice.” It has been a hot summer, and in addition to the heat, some workers have been exposed to smoke from wildfires and other outdoor hazards. In winter, workers may be exposed to colder temperatures, wind, ice, and snow. Let’s look at jobs that involve exposure to outdoor elements and the risks involved. Turns out, there are a lot of details to consider.

The Occupational Requirements Survey gathers information from employers about the physical requirements of occupations, such as the amount of standing or lifting; the cognitive requirements, such as pace of work or problem solving; the education, training, and experience needed for the job; and the environmental conditions of the work, such as outdoor exposure. We recently highlighted workers with outdoor exposure in The Economics Daily, the Bureau’s daily chart. I’m borrowing that chart.

In 2022, 32.9 percent of workers were exposed to the outdoors as a regular part of their job. Not surprisingly, the jobs with the greatest outdoor exposure include those involved in construction, landscaping, and public safety.

Editor’s note: Data for this chart are available in the table below.

The Occupational Requirements Survey also provides information on exposure to extreme heat and cold (fire and ice) through the tasks that workers perform, such as road workers spreading hot asphalt or restaurant workers entering a walk-in freezer. You can search the Occupational Requirements Survey database to obtain these and many more details about environmental conditions and other requirements of a whole host of jobs.

On-the-job exposure to extreme heat and cold can be dangerous, and our Injuries, Illnesses, and Fatalities program provides detail on workplace injuries and deaths related to heat and cold. In 2020, private industry workers experienced about 13,000 cases of exposure to temperature extremes that resulted in at least one day away from work. Most cases (10,790) involved contact with hot objects or substances. Other cases included exposure to environmental heat (1,940) and exposure to environmental cold (190).

As the following chart shows, the industries with the highest numbers of injuries resulting from exposure to environmental heat were trade, transportation, and utilities; construction; manufacturing; and professional and business services, which includes building and grounds maintenance.

Editor’s note: Data for this chart are available in the table below.

Over the past decade, an average of 45 American workers per year died from exposure to temperature extremes. There were 43 such workplace deaths in 2021. As the following chart shows, most of these deaths involved exposure to environmental heat.

Editor’s note: Data for this chart are available in the table below.

From 2011 to 2020, about one in three workplace deaths involving exposure to extreme heat occurred among workers in construction and extraction occupations. Other occupational groups with fatal injuries due to heat exposure included those working in building and grounds maintenance, transportation and material moving, and farming, fishing, and forestry.

Editor’s note: Data for this chart are available in the table below.

The Injuries, Illnesses, and Fatalities program provides considerable detail about workplace injuries, illnesses, and deaths, including information about the workers involved, the events or exposures, and the nature of injury. Take a look and learn more about the dangers of fire and ice.

Percent of workers with outdoor exposure by occupation, 2022

Occupation	Percent of workers requiring outdoor exposure
All workers	32.9
Cement masons and concrete finishers	100.0
Construction laborers	100.0
Firefighters	100.0
Highway maintenance workers	100.0
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers	100.0
Roofers	100.0
Police and sheriff's patrol officers	99.3
Paramedics	98.0
Crossing guards and flaggers	97.6
Parking attendants	97.5
Carpenters	95.5
Electricians	94.8
Construction and building inspectors	94.6
Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters	92.4
Locksmiths and safe repairers	92.3

Number of workplace injuries requiring at least one day away from work resulting from exposure to extreme heat, 2020

Industry	Number of workplace injuries
Trade, transportation, and utilities	440
Construction	410
Professional and business services	350
Manufacturing	290
Education and health services	120
Natural resources and mining	100
Leisure and hospitality	100
Financial activities	90
Information	30

Number of fatal work injuries by type of exposure, 2012–21

Year	Exposure to temperature extremes	Exposure to environmental heat
2012	41	31
2013	38	34
2014	26	18
2015	40	37
2016	48	39
2017	38	32
2018	60	49
2019	53	43
2020	62	56
2021	43	36

Percent of fatal work injuries from exposure to extreme heat by occupational group, 2011–20

Occupational group	Percent of fatal work injuries from exposure to extreme heat
Construction and extraction	32.3
Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance	12.0
Transportation and material moving	9.3
Farming, fishing, and forestry	8.8
Production	4.0
Protective service	3.0
Installation, maintenance, and repair	2.8