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Thousands of American workers have to work in extreme heat.

We can stop them from getting hurt on the job.

BRING IT HOME
by La Isla Network

Every year, extreme heat causes

0

Worker Deaths

0

Workplace Injuries

These are likely underestimates because heat-related deaths and injuries are undercounted.

All heat-related deaths are preventable

Meet Gabriel Infante, 24. On his first few days in the job, he was digging trenches in San Antonio’s 100-degree heat when he started becoming disoriented and showing an altered state of mind.

His supervisor assumed he was on drugs and called the police. In reality, Infante was dying of heat stroke.

His boss thought he was on drugs. But he was dying of heatstroke.

Infante’s body temperature was 109.8 degrees, according to federal records and a lawsuit filed by his family. He was 24. Infante’s mother, Velma Infante, remembers feeling shocked that the government didn’t have ‘some kind of protocol to follow to make sure people don’t lose their lives’ while working in the heat.

Read the Article

Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Gabriel and other workers’ lives could have been saved with: Cooling Rest, Hydration, and Sanitation.

A Clear Path to Protecting American Workers, Strengthening American Business, and Saving Lives

For more than ten years, La Isla Network (LIN) has saved the lives of thousands of workers worldwide by protecting them from extreme heat. At our Center of Excellence at the San Antonio sugar mill, we developed data-driven and cost-effective heat safety protocols that reduced hospitalizations from heat-related kidney injury by at least 70%, increased worker productivity by up to 9–19%, and generated a return on investment of 60%.

How Heat Impacts Productivity

Worker productivity can decrease by 2.5% for every degree above 80°F. Adjust the temperature to see the potential impact.

70°F 80°F 115°F

Estimated Worker Productivity:

100%

View Productivity History chart

Excellence in protecting workers is the backbone of our organization, and we care about making an impact beyond just research. Working with employers, governments, and leading researchers, LIN uses its results to advocate for policy change at the business, supply-chain, regional, and global levels.

Now is the time to apply these proven methods in the United States—because putting the American worker first is not just a slogan, but a practical step toward safeguarding lives right at home and improving business outcomes in a changing world.

Feeling inspired already? Here’s how you can make an impact right now.

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Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer has underscored the need to place the American worker first, recognizing that our workforce is the engine of the country’s prosperity.

The research that La Isla Network conducts abroad yields valuable data that is protecting American workers today! Already, La Isla Network is adapting our work abroad to the United States with Turner Construction Company at a major construction site in the Midwest.

Background photo: Center of Excellence - improvement of working conditions related to heat stress was associated with improved kidney health outcomes among sugarcane harvest workers in Chichigalpa, Nicaragua. Ingenio San Antonio.

Credit: Ed Kashi

With Turner, Flatiron Construction, Liberty Mutual Insurance, and Chubb Insurance, we are creating a tailored solution for lasting change that mitigates the risk that extreme heat poses to the safety and health of American construction workers.

Occupational Safety and Health Intervention

  • Cooling Rest
  • Hydration
  • Sanitation

Management of Change Procedure

2017: No Improvements (Baseline) 2018: Initial Investment 2019-2022: Reiterated Improvements
Baseline
2017
Phase I
2018-2019
Phase II
2020-2022

The measures we are taking with Turner Construction will save lives, strengthen business, and provide crucial data for future risk modeling—essential to protecting American workers today and tomorrow!

A Roadmap for Protecting American Workers from Extreme Heat

As global temperatures rise, workers everywhere, including in advanced economies such as the United States, face unprecedented and preventable health risks. High temperatures have long driven increased injuries, illness, reduced productivity, and deaths. Alarmingly, however, essential workers and their employers in industries like agriculture, construction, tourism, and transportation remain largely reliant on outdated and unevaluated guidance.

Dr. Barrak Alahmad

Instructor in Environmental Health, Director of Climate Change and Occupational Health - Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

Dr. Jacob R. Berry

Med. Director & Installation Occupational and Environmental Medical Consultant - Warner Robins AFB

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) newly proposed regulations mark a critical step forward. But this must be just the starting point.

We must adopt a comprehensive, evidence-driven strategy that engages both workers and employers in designing and implementing practical solutions.

Phase 1: Immediate Nationwide Enforcement and Mobilization

  • Fully enforce OSHA’s proposed standards, ensuring universal access to water, shade, rest, and heat education.
  • Protect workers’ rights to seek rest without fear of retaliation.

Phase 2: Co-Designing Data-Driven Interventions and Procedures

  • Establish multisite, industry-wide initiatives, modeled after La Isla Network’s successful Prevention Resilience Efficiency and Protection (PREP) program in Nicaragua.
  • PREP has already demonstrated effectiveness by reducing heat-related hospitalizations by over 80%, boosting productivity by at least 10%, and delivering significant returns on investment. This proven model offers a robust framework adaptable to the diverse working conditions across industries in the U.S.

Phase 3: Implementation, Evaluation, and Policy Influence

  • Rapidly evaluate and adapt interventions, building on efforts such as the European Union-funded Heat Shield Programme and the EU-OSHA tripartite strategy, tailored specifically to U.S. conditions.
  • Create regional centers of excellence to serve as practical examples for effective implementation, informing national regulatory frameworks and industry-wide best practices.

A Call to Action from La Isla Network CEO Jason Glaser

“La Isla Network has seen firsthand that when worker protection becomes central to climate adaptation strategies, outcomes improve significantly—not only for workers’ health but also for economic productivity. Yet, I remain deeply concerned by the lack of urgency among policymakers and industries in developed economies, including the United States."
"Every day, even in the cooler months, workers' body temperature gets dangerously high. There is no shortage of news every year of workers dying from extreme heat. I believe no worker has to die from heat, and every heat death is preventable."
“Funders and regulators from the U.S. and Europe have rightly supported worker-protection initiatives abroad; now it is essential that they bring these proven strategies home. Our goal at La Isla Network is clear: replicate and scale proven approaches like the Adelante Center of Excellence here, ensuring all workers, regardless of their geography, benefit from evidence-based protections against climate-driven heat risks."
“By embracing this phased, collaborative roadmap, ‘Bring It Home’ seeks to transform worker protection in the United States, making the nation a global leader in safeguarding lives, enhancing productivity, and fostering resilience in a changing world.”

Here’s how you can make an impact right now.

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