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Working under the scorching sun is not a big deal for construction worker Felipe Mota.
The secret is drinking a lot of water and taking frequent breaks, said Mota, who was working in Kennewick on Monday when the afternoon temperature topped 100 degrees.
"It's OK hot," he said.
But Mota, who has worked six years in construction, said he took care to cover his body in light cotton clothing and to wear a hat. It's also important not to work on an empty stomach, he said.
Mota and other outdoor workers will have to rely on their knowledge of how to handle the heat this week, as no immediate relief is expected. Temperatures are expected to remain in the high 90s, said meteorologist Joe Solomon at the National Weather Service in Pendleton.
Toni Bennett, a U.S Postal Service carrier, said a hot summer day takes a lot of energy. She was delivering mail on North McKinley Street near West Clearwater Avenue in Kennewick. She said she relies on a fan in her van and a jug of water to stay cool.
Landscapers Richard Sammons and Austin Hoch said they smear their bodies with sunscreen, in addition to taking frequent water breaks to protect themselves from the heat. You don't want to get sick from dehydration, exhaustion or heat stroke, said Sammons, who works for Legacy Lawn & Landscaping.
Hoch said he experienced minor heat exhaustion Saturday, which was just two days after he began working as a laborer. He said he has learned that if you don't have enough water you will begin to feel dizzy and light-headed.
But Hoch said he's happy to be working even in the heat rather than not working at all because jobs are hard to come by.
"My uncle pushed me into it," he said. "It's hard work but it pays well."
Hanford work continued as usual through the heat Monday.
At the vitrification plant, Bechtel National starts monitoring heat and other conditions in work areas once the temperature reaches 85 and then develops a schedule of work and rest in line with industry standards to protect employees, said spokeswoman Suzanne Heaston.
At Washington River Protection Solutions workers may have to wear a layer of protective clothing for work in areas such as the tank farms, where radioactive waste is held in underground tanks.
Workers have to medically qualify for work in the heat to make sure they don't take medications or have chronic illnesses that make them more susceptible to heat stress, said spokesman John Britton.
Workers are training to recognize heat stress in themselves and their coworkers. Rest breaks are scheduled and workers have access to relief through fans, misters, shade or ice vests.
Among recommendations for workers are drinking fluids before work starts and then drinking five to seven ounces of water every 20 minutes. A worker might produce as much as two to three gallons of sweat in the heat over a day, and needs to take in as much water as is lost.
Hector Castro, spokesman for the state Department of Labor & Industries, said employers generally have increased awareness of heat stress and how to prevent it. Businesses have trained their workers and supervisors about heat-related illness since L&I's rules to protect workers from outdoor heat exposure went into effect in 2008, he said.
No problems have been reported so far this summer, Castro said.
"The old ways (of working in the sun) are gone. (In the past), it was go, go, go. If you can't hack it someone else will," said Andrew Murphy, superintendent with construction company Aldrich & Associates.
He said his Bothell-based company provides water and an air-conditioned trailer for workers to take a break. In the summer, crews start early when they work outdoors and try to do indoor projects when it becomes too hot, he said.
Murphy's crews are helping construct an 18,000-square-foot building for TC Digestive Health at 8819 W. Victoria Ave. in Kennewick.
Of 25 to 32 workers on the project at various times, up to 10 may work outdoors, he said.
Jason Edgar, a driver for Kennewick's Farmers Exchange, said he's happy delivering lawn tractors because it's easier work than being a construction worker or a household mover, a job he used to have.
Edgar said he logs about 100 miles a day in his air-conditioned van and drinks a lot of water to keep himself hydrated. And at the end of a hot work day he loves to take a cold shower.
w Reporter Annette Cary contributed to this report.
w Pratik Joshi: 582-1541; pjoshi@tricityherald.com; Business Beat blog at www.tricityherald.com
