SOUTH BOISE, Idaho — As temperatures soar into the triple digits, construction crews in the Treasure Valley face challenging conditions out in the sun.
- Construction company, McAlvain Companies, implementing plans and procedures including cooling tools, hydration supplies and education on heat illness prevention.
- Workers operate on a shifted work schedule to avoid the extreme heat during the late hours of the day.
(Below is the transcript from the broadcast story)
For Brock Barr and his coworkers at McAlvain Construction, a day in the office does not include AC and rarely shade. As crews combat blistering conditions under the sun and temperatures well into the triple digits, the company's safety team steps in to make adjustments.
"So we have plans and procedures. Not only do we provide the tools necessary to cool these guys down, whether it be neck gaiters or electrolyte packets, obviously plenty of water, areas for shade if they do start to feel uneasy, but we also try and educate them as well. When they start to feel the heat stroke or heat illness coming on, we do everything we can to help them prevent it," says Brock Barr with McAlvain Construction.
I caught up with Boise Fire paramedics to learn more about the signs of heat stroke.
"Heat exhaustion—you just gotta remember it. You just gotta think about what it feels like to be really, really tired. As your body starts to work really hard to cool itself, you're going to start to get fatigued, you may get a little anxious, maybe a little dizzy," says Kurt Freeman with Boise Fire Department.
Construction teams are also taking measures to avoid working outside during the hottest times of the day.
"During the hot summer months like right now, we like to start earlier to avoid the heat exposure, so we start at 6 am right now," says Barr.
And with teams still working five days a week to stay on schedule, ultimately...
"The number one priority is keeping our guys safe and making sure they understand their health and well-being is a number one priority for us as well. And these guys, most of them are pretty used to it—they know the drill," says Barr.
