Florida, Arkansas Named Worst Places To Work Outside

By Douglas McIntyre • August 20, 2024

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As the weather tops 100 degrees F, day after day, in places which include Arizona, Florida, and Nevada, the dangers of working outdoors during the day rise sharply. At some point, the human body can no longer cool itself. People suffer heat stroke. Last year, in the Phoenix area over 600 people died from heat related illnesses.

A new study from Lawn Love looks at the level of danger to those who work outside in all 50 states. The research is titled “Safety First: 2024’s Safest States for Outdoor Workers.” The metrics for ranking includes rules on outdoor work in extreme heat, OSHA training, occupational safety and health plans, average number of hot/cold days, tick and mosquito borne illnesses, and access to medical facilities

States were rated on a scale of 0 to 100.

It comes as no surprise that the safety states are in the northern tier of the US, which tends to have temperate weather. Washington ranks first with a score of 70,98, followed by Oregon at 68.83, and Minnesota at 63.43.

Southern States Most Dangerous.

The worst places for outdoor workers were in the southernmost states. Arkansas had the lowest score at 33.85, followed by Florida at 35.27, Alabama at 36.24, Mississippi at 36.51, and Georgia at 38.42. A second issue in these states is that heat helps produce hurricanes.