Texas Outdoor Workers Face Health Risks Due To Extreme Temperatures
Just as Summer hit the 109 degrees mark, outdoor workers are at risk of suffering faints, dehydration, exhaustion, and cramps caused by the heat, according to Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have warned companies and workers of the consequences that outdoor work can bring in the Texan Summer. CDC has also pushed companies to implement measures for workers, since 2015 359 heat-related deaths have occurred.
OSHA has stated that one of every 4 heat-related deaths occurs during the first two weeks of working because the new workers aren’t acclimated to the heat. Starting with small shifts, and taking 25-minute breaks in the shade are health measures for beginners.
Construction workers and landscapers are also recommended to cut to 20% of their shift during the summer, drink plenty of water every 15 minutes, and electrolytes that will compensate for all the salt the body lost by sweating.
Luis Posada, a 71-year-old worker, told Dallas Morning News that despite the rise in the temperatures and the health risks, he can’t afford to stop working. He said the heat does affect his work though, he and his partner took three days to build a small house that usually is done within a day.
“As soon as I start to sweat too much I go home because I have a pacemaker,” he said. He is usually working with his brother Ramon.
According to the American Immigration Council migrants represent 42% of the construction and extraction workers in Texas. Most of them are undocumented and have poor access to health services or are exposed to lower salaries.