FLX Frontline Focus

Gen Z Plumbers and Construction Workers Are Making Blue Collar Cool

Blue-collar workers are turning to TikTok and other social media platforms to share the reality of their work . For 27-year-old electrician Lexis Czumak-Abreu, her videos about her work as an electrician have turned into an audience of 2.2 million people. Employers need to take away from this the importance of video in the workplace, whether it is in learning and development, compliance reporting, or employee communication. It’s important to give your employees the tools they actually prefer to use.

Boiling Point 2.0: Threats to Worker Safety Still Rising with Temperatures

Two years after the release of “Boiling Point,” the landmark study by Public Citizen , heat-related threats to frontline workers have only gotten worse. Indeed, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicts a 64 percent chance that 2024 will be the hottest year on record and a 100 percent chance it will be one of the top five.?

Who’s at risk??

• Agricultural workers are particularly susceptible to heat due to long hours and the absence of shade in most farm fields.
• Construction workers perform physically demanding tasks, raising body temperature and exacerbating extreme heat's effect.?
• Landscapers and groundskeepers, too, work long hours in the direct sun and suffer disproportionate rates of heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
• Roofing and road construction crews are especially susceptible to the heat because asphalt shingles and pavement can be 40-60 degrees hotter than the surrounding air temperature.
• Outdoor emergency responders, like firefighters and police, face unique challenges in hot weather; protective gear, heavy uniforms, and the need to move quickly all lead to heat buildup and rapid dehydration.

Last April, OSHA released an initial framework for rules protecting against heat-related illness and death. The proposed measures include ample water, frequent breaks, and ready access to shade or air-conditioned spaces. Then, in May, the Zurich Insurance group released its own recommendations that extend well beyond OSHA’s proposed minimums. Among their heat safety recommendations are:

• Heat illness prevention programs to mitigate the effects of rising temperatures.
• Education and training to teach workers about high-risk conditions and the warning signs of impending physical problems.
• Worker acclimatization, wherein workers start slowly and gradually increase the workload.?
• Reduced exposure by scheduling the most strenuous work around the coolest times of the day.
• Increased air circulation to lower temperatures, combined with physical structures that reduce exposure to the sun.
• Constant vigilance for signs of heat-related health issues, especially among older and overweight workers.
• Cool clothing wherever possible, preferably light, loose-fitting garment, with sunglasses and sunscreen. Keep in mind that protective gear raises body temperature, and those who wear it need more frequent breaks.?

Many researchers — and indeed, OSHA itself — believe that heat-related worker deaths are vastly undercounted each year, with incidents numbering in the thousands rather than the oft-reported dozens. The upside: heat-related deaths are almost entirely preventable, so a little care can make a major difference.

Try to stay cool, everyone!

Frontline Worker Trends 2024

The year may be halfway gone, but the trends among frontline workers continue unabated. Recent data reveal three overriding factors, along with a host of surprising stats:

• Frontline workers make up 80% of the global workforce .
• 62% are female, and 38% are male.
• 50% of frontline employees feel expendable at work.
• About one-third of remote employees work more than one job to fulfill financial obligations.?
• 15% of frontline workers said adjusting to changes was a major stressor at work.
• Only 8% of executives say increasing support for these workers is a priority for CEOs.

?Frontline Workers Need Continuous Learning

A recent survey of frontline workers shows the overwhelming majority — 93 percent — want to learn and grow on the job, with another 64 percent saying they’d stay at their company six years longer with better career support. The upshot on upskilling: they’re up for it, and it’s an employee retention driver.?

Employee training is better when it is continuous, and there’s actually some science behind this perspective. The Ebbinghaus Curve, or The Forgetting Curve , shows that we forget things over time, and the biggest retention drops occur immediately after learning something. The most important discovery Ebbinghaus made was that, by reviewing new information at key moments on the Forgetting Curve, you can reduce the rate at which you forget it!

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News and Notes

• General: Climate change drives mounting threat of extreme heat hazards to frontline workers. (American Progress )
• General: @Talroo shares frontline worker insights from its job postings, including average wages, experience requirements, and legislative impacts. (Talroo )
• Technology: How a smart helmet maker moved from hardware to software to keep workers safe. (Bloomberg )
• Construction: Crane company ordered to pay driver terminated for refusing to violate federal safety regulations. (OSHA )
• Maintenance: Boston window cleaning company held responsible for employee’s fatal 29-story fall. (Boston.com )
• Healthcare: New developments in health care safety following the 2023 ‘pharmageddon’ strikes. (Maxxess )
• Manufacturing: Kraton published its latest sustainability report, and showcases Kraton’s commitment to preserving the planet, building reliable partnerships, and empowering people as they progress along their sustainability journey. (Kraton )?
• Hospitality: Hotel workers are 40 percent more likely to be injured than other service sector workers. (BSM Health )
• Transportation: Federal judge affirms ruling against United Airlines in case where a technician’s foot was crushed by a 737. (OSHA )
• Construction: U.S. Department of Labor cites South Florida contractor after heatstroke claims the life of 26-year-old worker. (OSHA )
• Energy: Entergy ranks first in United Way’s Top 10 Most Generous Workplaces in Southeast Louisiana. (Entergy )

That’s it for this week!

Take care,

John Thompson