Landscaping and grounds maintenance workers face significantly higher injury and fatality risks than the general workforce. Workers in this industry are more than 2x more likely to be injured on the job compared to all workers (189 injuries per 10,000 FTEs vs. 87). The fatal injury rate for grounds maintenance workers is 5x the rate of all workers (20 per 100,000 vs. 4 per 100,000).
Heat is the leading cause of death among all weather-related phenomena in the U.S. Critically, 50–70% of outdoor heat fatalities occur in the first few days of working in warm/hot environments – acclimatization is essential.
OSHA’s Updated Focus: On April 10, 2026, OSHA updated its National Emphasis Program (NEP) on heat exposure, targeting high-risk outdoor industries including landscaping. This program remains active through April 10, 2031. OSHA inspectors can now initiate unprogrammed inspections when they observe landscaping crews working during heat alerts – even while driving by.
The attached document has more information.
