With the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) recently proposed rule for federal heat protections, Lawn Love ranked 2024’s Safest States for Outdoor Workers.
All 50 states and the District of Columbia were compared and ranked based 26 total metrics, broken down into the following 5 categories:
- Legislation protecting workers from extreme weather conditions
- Whistleblower retaliation rights
- Employment benefits
- Number of work-related injuries and fatalities
- Climate
| Safest States for Outdoor Workers | Least Safe States for Outdoor Workers | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | State | Rank | State |
| 1 | Washington | 1 | Arkansas |
| 2 | Oregon | 2 | Florida |
| 3 | Minnesota | 3 | Alabama |
| 4 | California | 4 | Mississippi |
| 5 | New York | 5 | Georgia |
Click here for the full list and to see where your state ranks.
Key Insights
- 21 states stay prepared with their own OSHA-approved state safety plans, protecting both private and government employees.
- 8 states require 10-hour or 30-hour OSHA training, which informs and trains workers and supervisors on dealing with typical safety and health hazards.
- Only 4 states — Washington (No. 1), Oregon (No. 2), California (No. 4), and Colorado (No. 12) — have laws protecting outdoor workers from extreme heat.
Some states are going so far as to pass legislation preventing local counties and cities from improving work safety standards.
Additional Standout Stats
- In July, HB 433 went into effect in Florida (No. 50), specifically banning local heat protections — rest breaks, hydration, safety training, and acclimatization — for workers.
- Texas (No. 39) has the most hot days, averaging 104 days above 90 degrees annually. The state also ranks 43rd in union membership with 4.5% of laborers with union representation. The Lone Star State also has the lowest share of workers with health insurance and claims the 12th highest number of severe work-related injuries per 100,000 residents in our ranking.
- Mississippi (No. 48), Alabama (No. 49), and Florida (No. 50) — land at the bottom of our ranking, alongside Arkansas, in last place. On top of a challenging climate, these states have low rates of both union membership, workers with health insurance, and high rates of severe work-related injuries per 100,000 residents.
- Michigan (No. 6) scores near the top with the highest workers’ compensation payout, about 77% of the worker’s weekly wage.
- Hawaii (No. 10) claims the highest union membership rate, 24.1%, followed by New York (No. 5) and Washington (No. 1).
- North Dakota (No. 46) had the most work-related severe injuries in 2022 — 10.9 per 100,000 residents — followed by Nebraska (No. 37) and South Dakota (No. 42).
- Wyoming (No. 30) had the most work-related fatalities, 5.9 deaths per 100,000 residents.
For Turf Magazine‘s recent article “Proposed Rule Would Protect Workers From Excessive Heat,” click here.
