By NOLAN POINTER

It only takes temperatures in the low- to mid-80s to result in a construction worker fatality.

A new study by the New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health, released this month, found that in 2024 – the hottest year in recorded history in New York – at least four construction workers died due to heat-related causes.

This is the first year that NYCOSH has kept track of heat-related fatalities.

The organization’s 2026 Deadly Skyline report cites that of the four deaths, two occurred in the five boroughs: a worker performing debris removal in 83˚F-degree heat in Manhattan in July 2024 and another worker who died in 86˚F-degree heat at a site in Long Island City in June 2024.

Data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) found that between 2011 and 2021, more than 400 workers nationwide died because of heat-related illness.

NYCOSH’s report examines the latest construction fatality data, uncovering systemic safety failures that continue to place workers at risk, particularly immigrant and Latinx workers. The report also outlines actionable recommendations to help prevent future injuries and deaths while creating safer job sites throughout New York.

Non-union jobsites remained especially dangerous for workers, according to the report’s findings. NYCOSH analyzed OSHA’s 31 New York State-based construction fatality investigations in 2024 and found that in New York State, 81 percent of the construction workers who died were non-union.

Data suggest that OSHA’s public communication and enforcement signaling has not consistently returned to pre-pandemic levels, raising ongoing concerns about visibility, deterrence and accountability in workplace safety enforcement.

To read the full report, go to

https://nycosh.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/NYCOSH-Construction-Fatalities-Report-2026_final.pdf