And a majority of recent heat-related deaths investigated by OSHA involved workers on the job for three days or less — highlighting the need for employers to ensure that new workers become acclimated to the heat when starting or returning to work, OSHA said. The risk of heat stress increases for workers who are 65 years of age or older, are overweight, have heart disease or high blood pressure, or take medications, OSHA said.
To reduce the threat of illness or injury to their employees, there are several steps companies can take, according to OHSA. Those include drinking water every 15 minutes, even if you are not thirsty; resting in the shade to cool down; wearing a hat and light-colored clothing; learning the signs of heat illness and what to do in an emergency; and keeping an eye on fellow workers, OSHA said.
On Monday afternoon, as temperatures in the area reached the low 90s, Charlie Anderson, public safety leader for the City of Middletown Public Works Department, was overseeing water main work at the corner of Second Avenue and Water Street.
He said the city provides water and ice on every truck and the crew isn’t working as “strenuous as we would in the cooler weather.” He said they try to work in the shade if at all possible.
The bottom line: Employee safety comes first.
“We all want to go home at the end of the day,” he said. “We don’t want to make a trip to the hospital.”
John Robertson, of Excel Window Cleaning in Butler County, does a lot of outdoor work during the hot summer days.
“You have to stay hydrated or you will get sick or worse,” he said Monday, while taking one of the many breaks he will have to take during peak sun hours in the early afternoon. “You have to keep yourself covered from the sun too and wear light-colored clothing and sunglasses to protect your eyes.”
Gale Brown, of AC Construction in Hamilton and Oxford, doesn’t like working in the heat.
“We all try to get an early start when there is a big job outside — like getting a deck done,” he said. “Sometimes you just have to drink as much water as you can and take some breaks to get out of the sun. But it can be just too hot to even think about cooling off. You have to be careful and get out of the heat for a minute when it gets way too hot.”
Dr. Paul Jennewine from the Middletown Medical Group, a Premier HealthNet practice, stressed the most important defense against getting over heated is drinking plenty of water and staying away from caffeinated drinks.
He said as the body sweats, that water has to be replaced to keep the body “functioning properly.”
If someone is outside and feels weakness or dizziness, Dr. Jennewine suggests getting inside and drinking water immediately. If the symptoms remain, seek medical assistance, he said.
One of the hottest places in the region to work is inside AK Steel because of the furnace and the required safety clothing and equipment, said Neil Douglas, president of IAM Local Lodge 1943.
He said the 1,800 union members are instructed to take occasional breaks and they receive “heat relief,” where they rotate working locations with their co-workers. Employees also are encouraged to drink plenty of fluids and eat fruits, he said.
Union members also watch out for their co-workers and gauge whether someone needs medical attention, Douglas said.
That’s also the case at Berns Nursery and Landscaping in Monroe. Most of the employees there — whether in the landscaping department or the garden center — spend the majority of their hours in the elements, said Mike Berns, manager.
“All the people pay attention to each other,” he said. “It’s like a family.”
He said there are large fans located in the garden center and employees are encouraged to stand in front of them when they feel hot.
“That really helps out,” Berns said.
Alan Whitt, landscaping coordinator and director of safety at Berns, said those who work outside for a living should wear loose fitting clothing, hats and drink plenty of fluids to replenish their electrolytes.
He said the landscapers work the hardest in the morning, before the day is the hottest, and they “chase the shade,” continually moving away from the sun. Working in full sunlight can increase heat index values by 15 degrees, OSHA said.
Workers also are encouraged to take occasional breaks, but sometimes that’s difficult when the job needs to be finished in a certain amount of time, Whitt said.
Staff writer Wayne Baker contributed to this report.
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