Beating The Heat

Window washer Shelby Perry wipes his brow while cleaning Millikin University building windows Tuesday.

For some workers, staying inside on hot days not an option: Decatur (Illinois) — Those who make their living working outdoors can’t just stay inside when temperatures reach potentially dangerous levels. Local companies are doing their best to get outdoor jobs done while keeping workers healthy and safe in the latest heat wave. Kirk Huettl, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Lincoln, said high temperatures have reached the mid-90s for the past few days and are expected to stay there until at least Friday. “This is kind of the third really hot day in a row,” Huettl said Tuesday.

A heat advisory covering much of Illinois and extending into bordering states began at noon Tuesday and will go through 7 p.m. today because of heat indices of 105 degrees or higher, he said. Today is expected to be the hottest day in the current heat wave, with a high temperature of 100 predicted. “When you add high humidity to high temperatures, the body is not able to cool itself as effectively with the higher humidity as it gets hotter,” Huettl said, explaining the danger of a high heat index.

A crew from Perfect Window Cleaners was at Millikin University early Tuesday morning. The company is in the midst of a multiple-week job, cleaning the windows on four of the university’s buildings. They should be finished by the end of the month, owner Richard Thacker said.

Click the picture for advise for beating the heat.

He said his employees have been starting their days early at 5:30 a.m., beginning work in the areas that will be in the sun later on and trying to stay in the shade as much as possible. “The big thing that we do stress is the safety,” Thacker said, adding that employees are encouraged to take as many breaks as they need, rest indoors when they can and drink plenty of fluids to stay hydrated.

He said the company also makes an effort to rotate its 18 or so employees through different locations so they’re not spending all their time out in the heat. “Some guys can take the heat better than others,” Thacker said. Rainey Nursery Co. in Argenta has instituted some similar precautions to help workers stay safe in the heat. “We keep an eye on our people, especially the rookies,” owner John Rainey said. He said he’s fortunate to have a dozen employees who have been working for him for years and are used to the hot weather and hard work.

Rainey’s employees have also been starting earlier, about 5:30 or 6:30 a.m., he said. They normally work 10-hour days, but they have recently been working eight-hour days, ending work in the early afternoon. “It’s bearable until about 1 o’clock, and then you just run out of gas,” said Rainey. Employees also are encouraged to drink water throughout the day, take breaks as they need to and pace themselves as they work. “Your body talks to you, and you’ve got to listen to it,” he said.

Rainey said it’s fortunate for his crews that the type of work they do can always wait until the next day, adding that he feels for people in the concrete business and similar jobs. The heat is not unbearable when workers take the right precautions, Rainey said. “It’s still hot, but it’s not that hot that says, ‘I just can’t go on,’ ” he said, adding that little things such as a breeze or shade can make big differences. Huettl said some relief from the heat is expected later this week, starting Thursday. “We’re not even cooling back down to normal,” he said, adding that temperatures are still predicted to be several degrees above the normal high temperature of about 86. The relief is expected to be short-lived, with temperatures reaching the mid-90s again Sunday and Monday, Huettl said.