Home » News » Top Stories » 2006 » Municipal Crews Cruise Through Heat, So Can You!

Posted:  August 2, 2006 Fans of the movie “Beverly Hills Cop” will remember the Glenn Frey soundtrack hit “The Heat is On,” which pretty well sums up the daily weather conditions faced by hundreds of municipal employees throughout our brutal Texas summer season. “The heat is on, on the street.  Inside your head, on every beat.  And the beat’s so loud, deep inside.  The pressure’s high, just to stay alive, ‘cause the heat is on.” A 105 degree day is enough to make anyone wither, but when you’re loading yard debris into a solid waste vehicle in a residential alley, that 105 degrees immediately translates to temperatures of 116 degrees or higher, as the concrete radiates shock waves of heat. Staying cool and hydrated is no easy task for anyone on a 100 degree day, but across our City every day, hundreds of municipal workers are climbing in and out of stale and stagnant manholes, laying traffic buttons on sweltering roadways, repairing traffic signals at blistering intersections, hauling yard debris by hand in super heated alleyways, weed eating along humid and bug infested drainage areas, lifting heavy, hot meter lids for billings, mowing acre after acre of medians and parklands and inspecting dusty, grimy construction sites with the sun reflecting off steel beams and amplifying the engine heat and fumes from heavy equipment. How do they do it?  Through awareness of their environment and a team ethic of always watching out for the other guy.  Ongoing heat-related safety training at the start of every summer plays as important a role in keeping one’s cool as insulated jugs, and electrolyte beverages.  Sunscreen is an essential staple. Staying hydrated with the proper liquids is indeed the mantra for crews who labor at strenuous activities in the face of soaring temperatures with ice coolers and drink mixes issued in never-ending streams.  Having excess to, and utilizing, fluids is essential for anyone in heat-related sports, activities or situations.  Staying cool isn’t always easy, but a patch of shade or a short break inside air conditioned areas or vehicles can help maintain a good body temperature. Checking daily heat indexes, scheduling strenuous work activities in the early morning hours, use of “cool collars” (a form of wet bandana), use of regulation shorts and sun hats all aid in beating the heat.  For City crews, special summer hours which may begin at 6:30a.m. for some positions, also help crews put in a full day’s work by 3:30, avoiding the blistering late afternoon hours.  Anyone planning a strenuous outdoor activity should look to the early morning or late evening hours to beat the heat. Watching out for the other guy is crucial when working in the hot sun, and extends to any sports or heat-related activity for anyone.  Heat exhaustion can build up slowly, but strike fast, often catching the victim unawares.  Any employee who feels there is a problem is encouraged to immediately seek help, with all employees sensitive to symptoms of heat stress, continually looking out for each other.  So successful is the City’s heat stress training and so watchful are the crews for each other that most departments have difficulty recalling when an employee was last a victim of a heat-related incident. Learn from the pro’s!  Protect yourself from heat stress! High temperatures and humidity, direct sun or heat, limited air movement and physical exertion in work and sports are a cocktail for heat stress or worse.  Additionally, some medications, physical conditions and inadequate tolerance for the heat can make things as simple as walking outdoors a potential hazard for some. Heat Exhaustion begins with headaches, dizziness, lightheadedness or fainting.  An upset stomach or vomiting may be present, and symptoms may include mood changes, such as irritability or confusion, weakness and moist skin. Heat Stroke victims exhibit little or no sweating, dry, hot skin and mental confusion, leading to loss of consciousness, seizures or convulsions. If someone suffers from a heat-related incident, call 9-1-1 at once.  Cooling the person down until help arrives is critical.  Move the person to a cool, shaded area.  Loosen or remove heavy or clinging clothing.  Use water, wet towels and fanning to cool the person and slightly elevate the feet.   A wealth of heat-related information can be found online from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention to the Environmental Protection Agency.  Hundreds of medical sites are available for detailed heat prevention and treatment tips.  Using common sense in the heat, drinking plenty of fluids and avoiding strenuous activities in the heat of the day are a common thread, however.   We applaud the work of our City of Plano field teams who strive to continually “beat the heat” while providing the best in customer services for our community!