Most Heat-Related Worker Deaths Happened On 90°-Plus, Hotter-Than-Average Days

The deaths of 267 workers from heat-related causes in the U.S. from 2010 to 2020 show a link to unusually hot days. Each block represents one such death.

Notes

1. Difference between the highest area temperature recorded on day of death and the average high area temperature around that date for the past 40 years.

Source: U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration and PRISM Climate Group

Credit: Data analysis by Robert Benincasa/NPR, Cascade Tuholske and David Nickerson/Columbia University. Graphic by Duy Nguyen and Ruth Talbot/NPR.