(WXYZ) — Outdoor workers in metro Detroit are pushing through dangerous heat this week, taking extra precautions to stay safe as temperatures approach triple digits.
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For construction crews rebuilding I-94, the heat wave has not slowed work.
"(It's) hot and humid and that makes it tough," said MDOT's Bill Erben, who is the construction engineer for the I-94 reconstruction project."You really have to be out on the job. You gotta make hay while the sun's still up as they say. So we're out here working away in the sun and in the heat and that's when you get the most work done."
Erben said the conditions are especially intense for workers dealing with asphalt and concrete.
"Asphalt, it generates a lot of heat and even concrete when it cures, it generates heat. But asphalt in particular, very, very hot. So, not only do you have the ambient air temperature but you have the temperature of materials that are right in your face. So it is very intense," Erben said.
Tuesday marked the first day this week where temperatures are set to make a run at triple digits, with more hot days ahead.
Roofing crews are also feeling the strain. Brian Musgrove, owner of BCM Roofing, said workers have to be conditioned for the heat.
"You gotta be seasoned, you have to be. It's almost like you have to do it every day to be comfortable with it," Musgrove said.
Musgrove said his crew takes extra breaks, stays hydrated and, in some cases, cancels jobs when conditions become too risky.
"If it's a steeper house, two stories, three stories, when we put the guys at a little bit more risk, we tend to save those jobs for a little bit cooler days because we're looking for longevity," Musgrove said.
Dr. Robert Sherwin of Sinai Grace Hospital DMC said people who must be outside for work need a plan.
"If it's your job and you're compelled to be outside, you have to think of strategies so you can be outside," Sherwin said.
Sherwin said heat-related illness can set in faster than people expect in dangerous heat. Warning signs include headache, dizziness, profuse sweating and nausea.
Sherwin also added that when someone gets sunburned, it makes them more sensitive to heat because the burn prevents their body from dissipating heat and impedes the normal function of sweating.
"As a community, look out for each other and think of the elderly, think of your neighbors, certainly your kids and your pets, because this heat can affect anyone and everyone," Sherwin said.
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