A recent study by Lawn Love evaluated all 50 states and Washington, D.C., to find out which ones are safest for outdoor workers. North Dakota ranked 46th overall and came in last for worker protection and safety. In 2022, the state had 10.9 severe injuries per 100,000 residents, the highest rate in the country. Nebraska and South Dakota followed, while Wyoming, despite its small population, had the highest number of work-related fatalities at 5.9 per 100,000 residents.
North Dakota also fared poorly in medical access, coming in at 48th place, and ranked 26th in employment and benefits. It was 19th in safety and 6th in environmental stressors, indicating that although the state doesn’t have many environmental hazards, it still struggles with severe injuries and lacks sufficient hospital access.
States in the Southeast, such as Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Arkansas, and Mississippi, were lower in rankings. Heat and humidity significantly affect outdoor worker safety in these states, which have high rates of severe work-related injuries and low health insurance coverage.
Each year, extreme heat leads to about 2,000 deaths and 170,000 injuries. Some states, like Florida and Texas, have no laws requiring protection from heat, such as rest and water breaks. OSHA has proposed new federal heat protection rules to tackle these issues.
On the other hand, the safest states for outdoor workers are Washington, Oregon, Minnesota, California, and New York. These states excel in employment, benefits, and worker safety, with California, Oregon, and Washington, along with Colorado, having laws to protect workers from extreme heat.