Construction firms are stepping up efforts to protect workers and job sites as climate change continues to have a major impact on the property industry, with soaring mercury and related weather disasters on an upward trend. Faced with this reality, real estate owners and developers are becoming more savvy about how to protect their properties and employees from extreme heat through resilient design and construction.
Backed by industry advocacy groups, builders are developing more comprehensive heat-mitigation programs and testing new technologies to protect workers’ health and keep projects on track.
The Growing Threat of Extremely Hot Days
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), average temperatures in the U.S. have risen about 60 percent more than the global average since 1970, and the number of extremely hot days is projected to increase.
The Economic Policy Institute estimates that extreme heat already costs the U.S. economy $100 billion per year. In 2023 alone, high temperatures led to an estimated 28,000 workplace injuries. and in 2024 the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that half of the heat-related fatalities in the U.S. that year occurred among construction workers. Data from 2025 is expected to be released later this year, but other research suggests that heat may be having a greater impact on the industry than official figures show.
In a study of occupational heat stress, La Isla Network, an advocacy group for heat stress prevention, documented physiological strain among young, otherwise healthy sugarcane workers in Central America, many of whom were developing severe kidney disease.
“It’s a nasty outcome of too much heat strain,” La Isla CEO Jason Glaser. By partnering with various workers’ groups, La Isla has seen up to 94 percent fewer heat-related hospitalizations while productivity has improved 20 percent.
In a recent study, researchers at UCLA analyzed California workers’ compensation claims alongside temperature data. They found that outdoor temperatures of 85 degrees can trigger a significant increase in reports of workplace accidents and injuries, with outdoor workers stricken with 25 percent more injuries on hotter days.
The Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES) has been working with researchers at the University of Pennsylvania’s Center for Climate Resilience to better understand the impacts of heat on workplace accidents. Beyond the physical risks, C2ES also found that a company’s response to extreme heat can also affect its ability to retain employees.
“If workers feel like their health isn’t being taken care of, or they don’t feel safe, [companies] are at risk of losing that competitive edge,” said Tessa Ide, manager for corporate resilience at C2ES.
Developers and Builders Taking Action
Over the past two decades, many states have been enacting various standards around heat exposure for workers, but to date there is no federal standard specifically governing workplace heat exposure. OSHA has proposed a Heat Injury and Illness Prevention standard, which is still moving through the federal rule-making process.
In the meantime, many construction companies have developed their own heat-safety protocols and guidelines. Turner Construction, for example, has extensively studied the impact of extreme heat on its workers and taken steps to mitigate it, including onsite cooling stations.
In Texas, where temperatures routinely soar above 100 degrees, Rogers-O’Brien Construction has piloted wearable technology across multiple jobsites. Workers wear armband sensors and smartwatches that continuously monitor biometric data, including core body temperature, heart rate, and exertion.
Paul Haining is chief EHS officer at Skanska USA, and he does not believe current U.S. heat guidelines are enough. “If you go solely by the guidelines—you’re not going to be successful,” Haining said. “You have to have additional means and methods for people to work and work safely.”
Skanska’s comprehensive program to address extreme heat includes in-house software that incorporates best practices and can be adapted to different regions and projects. The system includes an embedded weather app, as well as planning tools for hydration stations and mist fans. Construction sites located in the hottest places have on-site medics and hydration systems.
While Skanska has experimented with wearable technology, Haining said the company favors a more hands-on approach, including acclimatization, and cultivating an environment of trust with workers. “Building relationships with workers, building trust and psychological safety,” Haining said, “we’re serious about that.”
Can Tech Tools Help Solve the Problem?
As mentioned above, tech products designed to mitigate extreme heat risks have been popping up everywhere in construction and development, from biometric meters to sensors and drones. Oracle even operates a construction site dedicated to testing new technologies specifically aimed at keeping workers cool and safe.
In Japan, recent headlines described as a “human refrigerator” to treat heat exposure for outdoor workers. In Europe, which has been experiencing historic heat waves and wildfires, reusable cooling towels, water-activated wrist coolers, and UV-protective neck guards are distributed to outdoor workers, while in the U.S. wearable fans have become popular among U.S. construction workers such as cooling vests, wearable heat stress sensors, and even sweat-sensing patches.
Mexar, a company founded by three University of Pennsylvania engineering graduate students, spent two years researching and testing ways to lower core body temperature when laboring in extreme heat. They came up with a small fan that can be worn underneath normal work clothes to evaporate skin moisture and keep the body cooler. The inventors say it’s not a cure-all against heat stroke, but it is a valuable tool to supplement a company’s existing heat-safety program. Mexar is currently deploying its product to a number of companies in the U.S. and is in talks overseas.
Despite the growing number of products on the market, La Isla Network’s Glaser questions whether many technologies aimed at keeping workers cool adequately address the underlying risk.
“The thing you really want to manage is core body temperature,” Glaser said. “Most products on the market aren’t addressing it.” He pointed to four critical questions these companies should be able to answer: Does the product reduce the risk of elevated core body temperature and related harm? How does it affect worker performance? Does it make workers measurably safer? And does it provide a return on investment?
“If you’re not measuring against these,” Glaser asked, “then what are you doing?”