A new study published in Annals of Work Exposures and Health, coauthored by PRI Workforce Capacity and Preparedness Faculty Co-Lead Brian Pavilonis and CUNY SPH doctoral student persuing his PhD in Environmental and Planetary Health Sciences, Mike Ierardi, identifies the New York City occupations most at risk of heat stress as climate change drives more frequent and intense heat waves across the region.
The study, New York City occupations at-risk of heat stress: integrating ONET and BLS data for occupational insights, created a novel risk model that combines federal employment data with occupational characteristics such as work environment, physical exertion, and use of personal protective equipment. Key findings include:
- Most At-Risk Job Titles: Among the top 25 job titles with high risk and large workforce size (n > 500), landscaping and groundskeeping workers (n = 51,790) and construction laborers (n = 46,390) accounted for more than half the total—underscoring how large segments of the workforce may be unprotected.
- Equity Implications: Many of the most exposed occupations are disproportionately held by Hispanic/Latino workers, immigrants, and individuals with limited English proficiency or lower educational attainment. The authors emphasize that any training, resources, or enforcement linked to new regulations must be culturally and linguistically tailored to reach these groups.
- Policy Context: The findings support the rollout of the Temperature Extreme Mitigation Program (TEMP) Act currently under consideration in New York State. However, the authors warn that many vulnerable workers, including unionized construction laborers and those in informal sectors, may fall through the cracks unless protections are expanded.
- Data-Driven Approach: Unlike previous city-level assessments that relied on outdoor exposure alone, this analysis incorporated multiple risk factors such as indoor climate control, physical workload, and PPE use. This allowed for a more nuanced identification of risk across job types.
The authors call for multipronged interventions including acclimatization programs, heat monitoring, hydration, rest breaks, and workforce engagement—especially among hard-to-reach populations. They also recommend extending the model to other cities and occupational hazards.
Read the full article at Annals of Work Exposures and Health here .