Workers feel the heat
High temperatures create challenges
With southern Alberta looking at another week with mid-30s temperatures, the provincial government is reminding people out working in the sun to be safe.
The Occupational Health and Safety Act requires employers to take all reasonable steps to protect the health and safety of their workers.
“As the hottest days of summer approach, so do the dangers of working outside,” Christina Gray, Minister of Labour stated in a news release. “Knowing how to work safely in hot weather can prevent heat-related injuries. Employers must take steps to protect the health of their workers and save lives.”
Ruben Guimond, owner of Lethbridge Elite Roofing, said there are a number of additional challenges facing roofers when the temperature soars, and that heat issues are something he takes seriously.
Often there is little to no shade on the roof of a building. In addition to heat from the sun, roofers also contend with heat absorbed by the roof.
“We usually say if it’s 30 degrees outside, it’s well over 40 degrees on the roof,” Guimond said.
To do their jobs, there are a number of ways roofers minimize their exposure.
The most important strategy is minimizing exposure to direct sunlight. This means wearing a hat, and covering up as much as possible in light, breathable clothing.
“It’s really important to keep the sun off your face,” he said. “We’ve had guys fall victim to heat stroke even while being completely hydrated.
Just having the sun hitting your face, and the reflection of it, really wears a person down over time.”
“And because of the heat from the roof, we go with a desert mindset,” he added.
“We cover as much of our body as possible.”
He also said it is important for roofers to make sure they have sunscreen on every day.
“If we don’t want to look like a 90-year-old man in our 30s, that's definitely a big part of it,” he said.
Another way for roofers to beat
the heat is to take a cold, wet towel and wrap it around their neck. Guimond said doing so, and also staying properly hydrated, helps keep body temperatures down.
Guimond said when the temperatures get too high, roofers can no longer do their jobs efficiently. Shingles become so soft and fragile that a lot of extra time must be spent cooling them off before they can be properly applied.
“We use a lot of extra time using a hose to cool down the shingles,” he said. “It’s not cost-effective to work through the heat.
“At that point, we might work earlier, and then work later, and take some time off during the hottest part of the day.”
The province is asking employers and employees to be aware of the early signs of heat stress and treat it immediately.
Symptoms may include: headache; dizziness and fatigue; dehydration; heavy sweating; muscle cramps; and changes to breathing and pulse rate.
If not properly addressed, heat stress could progress to heat stroke, a life-threatening condition requiring immediate medical attention.
In order to combat heat stress before it becomes a more serious issue, employers are encouraged to provide plenty of cool drinking water; reduce physical activity, changing the work location to a cooler, shaded area and creating a cooling station where workers can rest; using a work and rest schedule with extra breaks if needed; allowing workers to acclimatize by gradually increasing the time they spend working outdoors; and scheduling physically demanding jobs for cooler times of the day.
Employees have the right to refuse work if they feel it is unsafe. Albertans can call Occupational Health and Safety at 1-866-4158690 if they feel their workplace is unsafe due to the hot weather.