It’s still Springtime, but as I reach the summit and see what is lovingly referred to as ‘ValHILLa’ up ahead (an aid station dedicated to every candy, carb, and alcohol imaginable), all I can think about is electrolytes. On either side of me are people once filled with pre-race anticipation, now waiting to be escorted back to the start line on ATVs by paramedics. Some are clinging to the small patch of shade being cast on the trail ahead from a singular pine tree, while others are now using their hydration vests and silly signs to block their faces from the direct sunlight. 

I know I have enough water, but I’m now too heat-sick to take in electrolytes or gels, let alone real food. What started off as one of the most challenging half marathons in the country with a staggering elevation gain in typically icy or rainy conditions is now a desperate race to beat the heat and not the clock. 

However, at this moment, I’m not even thinking about this race anymore. Instead, I’m mad. I’m livid because I know that what all of us on the hill were experiencing is bound to become the status quo. The summers get more brutal every year, and the heat waves bleed into the nights. For the drilling industry, summer work is threatened, and projects are pushed out, which we often talk about at The Driller. But is that truly where this crisis stops? Is it just our daily work lives that are affected? Unfortunately not. Instead, every aspect of the human condition is bound to see the effects of climate change, and it’s time we take notice and do what we can to take action now. 

Climate Change’s Lasting Impact on Job Safety and Security

To be able to create a well-rounded picture of climate change’s impact, we must start with the topic we’ve covered hundreds of times in the past and emphasize the severity of the situation as it stands today. 

There are no warnings anymore; the effects are here and they are devastating. According to the American Red Cross, “More than 50 million people will experience dangerous temperatures this week as a late August heat wave hits the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic and Southeast regions of the country.Temperatures will go as high as 100 degrees, breaking records in some areas. The combination of high temperatures and humidity and little relief in the overnight hours will add up to a higher risk of heat-related illness.”

Already, heat-related illness has taken the lives of two workers in the Pacific Northwest this year with very different responses from the government bodies in both states. Sebastian Francisco Perez, a 38-year-old Guatemalan immigrant, collapsed in 100-degree heat at a farm in St. Paul, Oregon. The response from Oregon government officials and OSHA was swift, positive, and led to more standards for heat safety across the state. Meanwhile, just a few days later, Ian Booth, a 33-year-old Idahoan working on a landscaping crew near Lewiston died of cardiac arrest from heat exposure. Unfortunately, Booth’s death was not recognized and no action was taken from local lawmakers. Instead, the family raised money through social media for a burial and the situation simply ended there. 

This goes to show that heat safety regulations and standards must be instilled nationwide and forcibly upheld as human lives are at stake. However, this isn’t always the case when companies actively retaliate when concerns of heat are presented to them by their teams. Furthermore, when government bodies are not in alignment with EPA and OSHA recommendations, these climate change-related heat incidences only continue to occur each year with employees, fearing they will lose their jobs if they don’t blindly comply. But is a job truly worth our life and well-being? 

In a recent expose from The Guardian, these fears in the face of an obtuse government body were truly highlighted. In Florida, legislation recently passed that unapologetically banned local safety roles for outdoor workers making this kind of ‘browbeating’ far more likely. While the drilling industry is a respectable and uplifting industry, not every outdoor worker is as lucky. As Cristina Lopez, a 39-year-old Guatemalan migrant with three children, explained about a particularly exhausting day in which she developed heat-related illness, “The supervisor told me to punch out and go home if I couldn’t do the work. I felt terrible but I have a family to support and couldn’t afford to lose the hours, so I drank some water and went back to work.”

Meanwhile, Lopez’s teenage son “passed out after an eight-hour shift in an airless truck arranging plant pots, regaining consciousness as the ambulance pulled up at the hospital.” The article went on to explain that “The teenager was tachycardic and confused, and jumped out of the ambulance. A week later, he fainted again after another roasting hot shift without sufficient water or breaks. He has since developed tinnitus, and feels anxious when the heat makes him dizzy at work.” 

Tinnitus is a lasting condition brought on by this heat-related illness and yet, the company is not responsible for the effects on this young man’s body or the lasting impact this heat has had on his life. This is the most disconcerting element of these heat waves. While OSHA may have our backs and our leaders may more often than not stand by our sides with safety in mind, what happens when the government or leaders disagree? As we’ve seen thus far, the results are guaranteed to be life-threatening if not quite literally deadly in the long run. 

Now, as the concern only continues to grow worldwide, even nightwork and recovery at night may not be viable. 

The Impact on Health and Well-Being

Aside from the health implications that are already evident with heat-related illness, there are long-term effects on the body and mental health of those that experience these levels of heat regularly. For starters, let’s break down the current topic that is causing major concern for heat safety and well-being across the nation: night temperatures. 

In the past, the major consensus of outdoor labor leadership was that even when the heat during the day became unbearable, work could continue at night. However, more recent studies suggest that this solution is no longer possible. A study by the nonprofit Climate Central found 2.4 billion people experienced an average of at least two additional weeks per year where nighttime temperatures exceeded 77 degrees.

According to Nick Obradovich, one of the chief scientists at the Laureate Institute for Brain Research, "Warmer nighttime temperatures, particularly during hot times of the year, can harm sleep and can reduce physical recovery from hot daytime temperatures, both of which can have cascading impacts on health outcomes." 

Given this information, not only will it not be viable to work during the night to ‘beat the heat,’ but it may also become an issue for recovery when workers are forced to work during the hot Summer months. With less comfortable sleep schedules, limited recovery time, and a work schedule that physically can’t overcome the rising temperatures, it’s no wonder why another major element to the impact on health and well-being comes in the form of depression, demotivation, stress, and anxiety. 

According to Amerisleep, “Studies suggest that the ideal room temperature for most individuals ranges between 60 and 72 degrees Fahrenheit, with temperatures in the 60s promoting the best sleep quality.” The result of poor sleep quality every night? Depression, suicide, and risk-taking behavior. Knowing how many incidences on drilling job sites occur solely because of these mental health issues, it’s clear to see how this could quickly become a major issue for our industry as well as the well-being of our staff and their families. 

Disproportionate Climate Change Effects

Another element associated with health and wellness when facing extreme heat is how it affects some members of our community and workforce more than others. For starters, Human Rights Watch emphasizes how people with disabilities face even higher risk of injury or death during heat waves. 

In addition, according to the CDC, “Workers at greater risk of heat stress include those who are 65 years of age or older, are overweight, have heart disease or high blood pressure, or take medications that may be affected by extreme heat.”

Given the fact that 22.3% of construction workers in the United States were 55 years old or older and the fact that 126.9 million American adults (49.2%) have one or more types of cardiovascular disease, it’s clear that these disproportionate climate change effects may be far worse for the drilling industry and the more experienced drillers on job sites over time. 

Losing the ‘Life’ in Work-Life Balance

Finally, it’s time to return to that hill. The Race to Robie Creek was one that ended in Idaho this year with many Did Not Finish (DNF) racers not because of the incline or the distance but rather the sweltering heat and lack of shade. While my weekdays are spent as an editor, my time off is often spent running on a trail, attending live concerts, fishing, or reading a novel at the park. 

Unfortunately, what is becoming more and more evident as time passes is the fact that the heat is taking over these passions and affecting work-life balance in the process. What’s even more unfortunate is that I am hardly the only one seeing these adverse effects in my personal life. 

According to Aaron Hipp, a professor of parks, recreation, and tourism management at the College of Natural Resources, “Many people are trying to run or bike in the early morning hours to avoid extreme heat…If your ability to participate in outdoor activities is limited due to extreme heat, you’re not as likely to enjoy the mental and physical health benefits — whether it’s reduced stress, reduced cardiovascular disease, or reduced cancer risk.” 

While recreational activities are being affected, even events associated with days off like Labor Day, 4th of July, and Memorial Day are becoming threats to the health of our workers as well. Just recently, the Pikes Peak Airshow in Colorado Springs led to 10 people being hospitalized and over 100 individuals needing medical attention related to extreme heat and heat-induced seizures. The shocking part of this is that the temperature that day never exceeded 80 degrees highlighting how heat domes, heat waves, and wet-bulb temperatures can be deadly even when you least expect it .

The outcome of all of this? The boots-on-the-ground community suffers both on and off the job from the extreme heat that climate change has caused, and not only does this affect work-life balance but it significantly affects morale, critical thinking, attitude, and retention in the process. 

This is how an OSHA issue that is navigated from the industry’s perspective becomes so much more impactful from a recreational, mental, political, and social standpoint. And, while our job as industry leaders is not to serve as overseers of our workforce’s entire lives, what affects these professionals at home is bound to affect them at work as well. 

Is There an Eco-Conscious Path Forward for Drillers?

As we look to the future and what it holds for heat safety, the drilling industry, and the culture within it, we must remind ourselves of our resiliency as a human race and the fact that the best and brightest are already tackling these issues at every level of our society. However, this does not mean that we can rest on our laurels and rely on these brilliant minds to do the heavy lifting. 

Instead, as the heat continues to spread and the effects only grow in severity, we must be willing to reassess work dynamics, the mental and physical well-being of our teams, and how we, as professionals, can advocate for climate action at our state and community levels. As they say, “You can’t change the world, but you can make a dent.” 

It’s time we climb the mountain of climate change and find that summit before we as a society ‘DNF.’ The finish line has always been in sight—it just takes the drive to push for sustainability and a greener future to cross it.