Climate Change: A Major Concern for Workers’ Compensation

Climate significantly impacts workplace safety and health. As global warming increases, and changing weather patterns become more pronounced, workers’ compensation insurance systems will be stressed to limits never before imagined.

Since the inception of US workers’ compensation legislation almost a century ago, climate extremes have been causally related to compensable events in both a traumatic and occupational exposure setting. Whether it be periods of extreme temperatures or significant storm, i.e.. Hurricane Sandy, weather patterns are reaching new record breaking levels and causing increased levels of occupation injuries and illnesses already.