Hot weather adds to load for those under the sun

Outside work requires caution amid blistering temperatures.

Hot enough for ya? Try working in it.

While many area residents are grumbling about the sweltering 95-degree days, those who do back-breaking labor under the scorching Southeast Missouri sun really have something to gripe about.

"It's terrible, man," said sheet metal worker Josh Ott, who was soaked with sweat at the construction site of the new federal building in Cape Girardeau last Friday. "I can't hardly stand it."

Several construction projects are going on across the area, from roadwork on South Kingshighway and Broadway to power spraying Houck Field House on the campus of Southeast Missouri State University.

And few of them are managing to keep their cool.

"I have been draggin'," said Russell Grasso of Penzel Construction, who was doing concrete work at the federal building. "It gets so hot I have to sit down. You get tired easy. At lunch, I try to find some shade and take a nap."

Good idea. Grasso will likely need to fight for a shady spot to snooze for at least the early part of this week, too.

"Did you like today?" meteorologist Dan Spaeth asked amidst Friday's sauna-like conditions. "If you do, you'll like Monday and Tuesday, too."

Spaeth, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Paducah, Ky., said temperatures for today and Tuesday will likely be in the mid-90s and heat indexes could reach 105. He's predicting Wednesday's highs to drop, but only to the lower 90s.

Later in the week could offer a sweet reprieve, with temperatures trending downward and maybe rain, he said. There may even be a cold front coming, he said, though it was too early to say with any authority.

While the temps aren't record-breaking, Spaeth said it's still rare.

"This is the worst stretch as far as heat and humidity," he said. "It's not uncommon to have a day or two of temperatures in the upper 90s. But to do it for several days or a week, that's unique."

Jane Wernsman, assistant director at Cape Girardeau County Public Health Center, said those who work outside are especially vulnerable to the heat because they're exposed for extended periods of time.

Work supervisors should watch their crew for heat exhaustion or heat stroke, she said. Symptoms include headache, dizziness, light-headedness, weakness and nausea. The more serious heat stroke would include symptoms of pale skin and no sweat.

Those who are forced to work in the heat should wear loose clothes, she said. They should also drink cool water, preferably a small cup, every 15 minutes. She also recommended performing the heaviest work in the coolest part of the day. She also said to avoid caffeinated beverages and alcoholic drinks, both which can dehydrate you.

Those are suggestions that Roger Poyphress, owner of construction company ASA Enterprises in Jackson, says he already follows.

"We sometimes start at 6 o'clock," he said. "Of course, it can be pretty hot already at 6 a.m."

Still, the heat is unbearable at times, he said.

"It's like going to a health club sauna and throwing water on the rocks," he said. "That's what it reminds me of."

smoyers@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 137