Gia Snape: As extreme heat and weather-related disruptions put fresh scrutiny on the 2026 FIFA World Cup, workers' compensation specialists say the bigger insurance concern may not be heat illness itself, but the vast temporary workforce needed to run one of the world's largest sporting events.

For Mark Walls, vice president of client engagement at Safety National, large events inevitably create workers' compensation exposures because of the sheer number of workers required. However, Walls said heat itself is not necessarily the largest claims driver, particularly where employers already have basic heat protocols in place.

Still, heat can have an indirect effect on injuries. A 2024 Workers Compensation Research Institute study, drawing on workers' comp claims from 24 states, found that the probability of work-related accidents increases by 5% to 6% when maximum daily temperatures rise above 90°F, compared with days in the 65°F to 70°F range. The effect was stronger in the South and among construction workers.

Read the full article here.  The WCRI study cited is Impact of Excessive Heat on the Frequency of Work-Related Injuries.  Visit its page on our website for more information, including on how you can get a copy!

Also possibly of interest to readers are Heat-Related Illnesses in the Workplace—A WCRI FlashReport and Impact of California’s Heat Standard on Workers’ Compensation Outcomes.