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When weather wounds workers: The impact of temperature on workplace accidents

Author

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  • Drescher, Katharina
  • Janzen, Benedikt

Abstract

We study the effects of temperature on occupational health using administrative data on Swiss occupational accidents from 1996 to 2019. Our results imply that on hot days (Tmax≥ 30 °C) the number of occupational accidents increases by 7.4% and on ice days (Tmax< 0 °C) by 6.3%, relative to mild days. We find that extreme temperatures cause an average of 2600 workplace accidents each year, costing CHF 91 million annually. We provide suggestive evidence for insufficient sleep on hot days as a mechanism. While extreme temperatures worsen occupational health, we observe limited labor supply adaption for most workers.

Suggested Citation

  • Drescher, Katharina & Janzen, Benedikt, 2025. "When weather wounds workers: The impact of temperature on workplace accidents," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 241(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:pubeco:v:241:y:2025:i:c:s0047272724001944
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jpubeco.2024.105258
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Valenti, Giulia & Vona, Francesco, 2024. "Hot Wages: How Do Heat Waves Change the Earnings Distribution?," FEEM Working Papers 348848, Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei (FEEM).
    2. Giulia Valenti & Francesco Vona, 2024. "Hot Wages: How Do Heat Waves Change the Earnings Distribution?," Working Papers 2024.31, Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Occupational health; Labor supply; Climate change;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I1 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health
    • J2 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor
    • Q5 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics

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