KILLEEN, Texas — Doctors are urging Central Texans to be cautious as the summer heat becomes more dangerous, especially for those working outdoors.
Construction workers might spend a lot of their days outside, which can be dangerous in the heat of a Texas summer.
Doni Engel, owner of Pro-Tech Plumbing and Construction, says the high temperatures already affecting his crew’s ability to work.
”The biggest things are cramping — it feels like they have a stomach virus," Engel said.
"They sit and install an A/C unit in an attic for four to five hours at a time."
This is a setting that can be even worse than working out in the sun.
”We’ve really got to get in that workspace and rotate — have a guy down and a guy up and rotate every ten to 15 minutes. We recorded it and it was 130° in the attics, so we have to be really careful.”
It doesn’t matter if you’re working hard in the direct sunlight, or inside a dusty house with A/C.
Taking regular breaks can not only keep workers out of the hospital, but can make sure they're well enough to come to work the next day.
This is an issue Engel says his crew is running into, because they might have been too dehydrated the day before.
Hydrating at work isn’t enough though — workers should also start hydrating before coming to work.
”Make sure that in the morning, if you're going to have to wake up and work in a really hot environment, have some extra hydration before you go to bed,” said Dr. Taylor Ratcliff, EMS Physician with Baylor Scott & White.
“Start your hydration process early in the day and continue it the entire day.”
”Along with water, you do want to take some electrolytes periodically — some electrolyte-containing drinks,” Dr. Ratcliff said.
Workers might also need to watch for signs of heat-related illness.
”You begin to get a headache — kind of that dull throbbing headache."
“You may begin to feel dizzy, you may start to feel a little bit weak, or you may start to get some nausea or mild cramping in your stomach and just generally not feel well.”
Anyone working in extreme heat should remember to take regular breaks, hydrate with both water and electrolytes, and watch out for signs of heat related illness and seek medical attention if necessary.
