Rising Temperatures Challenge Construction Industry

Summer 2025 is seeing record-breaking temperatures across the country, putting construction workers at serious risk. With longer, hotter days and high humidity, heat stress is becoming a top safety issue on job sites, For Construction Pros reports. Unlike visible hazards, heat-related illnesses, such as fatigue or confusion, can strike quickly and without much warning, leading to more job site accidents. Heat stress contributes to millions of injuries and thousands of deaths annually, and construction workers have historically been among the most affected. Beyond health, record levels of heat are also impacting project timelines. As schedules shift to protect workers, it’s projected that by 2030, heat stress could reduce global working hours by 2.2%.

Construction work has always been physically demanding, but 2025 is bringing new challenges. The intense heat is no longer a seasonal discomfort, it’s a daily safety threat. Last summer, cities like Phoenix saw 113 straight days over 100°F, pushing outdoor workers into dangerous territory. These record-breaking temperatures aren’t a one-time event. Extreme heatwaves are becoming more frequent, putting added pressure on crews working in direct sun.

Heat doesn’t just make the day harder, it makes it more dangerous. For every 1°C increase in the humidex, the risk of traumatic injuries on job sites rises by 0.5%. That risk climbs even higher in cities, where urban heat islands can boost local temperatures by as much as 5°C (41°F). Add in high humidity, and workers may feel as if it’s 10°F hotter than the thermometer shows. These conditions not only raise the risk of heatstroke but also lead to fatigue, poor decision-making, and accidents.