Climate Matters: Heat risk rising for outdoor workers

The leading cause of weather-related deaths in the United States is becoming more dangerous and forcing more people inside in the summer. Heat exposure can impact public health and safety and can lead to losses in labor when workers are kept indoors.

Mid-Missouri is already seeing more hot temperatures coupled with an increase in humid days. Over the last half century Columbia has added on two more weeks of days with the heat index above 80 degrees. This is a trend statewide as St. Louis has seen 18 more days of risky heat.

Outdoor workers are especially vulnerable to the summer heat, and it can hurt their pockets as well if it keeps them off the job. Patrick Hickerson with Hickerson Lawn and Landscape in Columbia says that the heat has slowed down their lawn care work in recent weeks. His workers have to take more frequent breaks and adjust to working in the earlier or later part of the day to avoid the worst heat.

Patrick also says the recent changeover to flooding was a challenge. "Going from two extremely dry years, we kinda had to relearn how to work around the weather because we got really used to it not raining." He says the recent floods have kept the lawns green though so he's glad to see it.