Feeling the heat at work takes on a new and hazardous meaning for many Inland Empire workers thanks to climate change, according to a new report from a UC Riverside think tank.
The policy brief from UCR’s Inland Empire Labor and Community Center found rising global temperatures pose a particularly high risk for workers in several industries, especially for people of color.
“With projections for more frequent and intense heatwaves, wildfires, droughts, and floods, the region’s workers are facing an unprecedented ‘cocktail’ of occupational hazards,” read the report released this month.
Climate change is the long-term shift in Earth’s temperatures and weather patterns. The planet is in the midst of global warming exacerbated by the use of fossil fuels, deforestation and other human activities that scientists warn will wipe out plant and animal species and make life unbearable for future generations.
For the Inland Empire, climate change makes normally hot summers even more sweltering, creating a double whammy for the public when combined with the region’s notoriously poor air quality.
That toxic air is blamed, at least in part, on diesel emissions from trucks serving the region’s massive logistics industry. And it’s warehouse workers who are especially endangered by climate change, according to the report.
“Warehouse workers in facilities without adequate air conditioning or ventilation are highly vulnerable to heat-related illnesses,” the report states. “They are also exposed to airborne pollutants from the high concentration of diesel vehicles in their work environment.”
Inland farmworkers, construction workers, emergency responders and those employed in transportation also are at high risk of harm from climate change and air pollution, the report added.
These sectors tend to employ higher numbers of people of color, according to the report. More than two-thirds of climate-vulnerable workers in San Bernardino County and roughly one-third of climate-vulnerable workers in Riverside County are Latino, the report read.
“Low-income and non-unionized workers are also highly vulnerable,” the report found.
“Many warehouse workers, for instance, work long hours, earn less than a living wage, and rely on public assistance benefits; they often lack the resources necessary to address health challenges.”
Besides causing heat stroke and other illnesses, high temperatures boosted by climate change can impair workers’ cognitive function and lead to more stress, anxiety, depression and irritability, the report read.
“The psychological toll can be substantial for workers experiencing prolonged heat exposure or climate-related job insecurity, negatively affecting both their mood and ability to make decisions,” according to the report.
About 21% of San Bernardino County workers and roughly 14% of Riverside County workers toil in climate-vulnerable jobs, per the report. Across the Inland Empire, about 18% of workers are in climate-vulnerable occupations, compared to roughly 16% for all of California.
California took steps in 2024 to lower indoor workplace temperatures. Rules passed by the state Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board set temperature thresholds that, if reached, would require employers to take steps to either lower inside temperatures or give workers heat relief.
Once the indoor temperature reaches 82 degrees, employers would have to give workers water and access to cooling areas. Fans or other cooling devices would have to be used once the temperature hits 87 degrees.
While California “is a national leader in worker protection,” the state’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health, also known as Cal/OSHA, is understaffed and there’s a lack of follow-up to ensure employers are keeping workers cool, the report read.
Cal/OSHA did not respond to a request for comment.
“The current patchwork of state regulations, local initiatives, and advocacy efforts provides a foundation” to keep workers safe from climate change, the report concluded.
“But a more comprehensive, proactive, robust, and equitable policy approach is urgently needed to address the full spectrum of these challenges.”
