Wednesday, Jul. 09, 2008

104 a struggle for people who must work outside

At 3 p.m. Tuesday, the crew widening Claus Road in Riverbank was still at work. Some sought shelter from the heat beneath a shade tree for a few minutes, but the mugginess was inescapable.

"On days like this, it's hard to stay cool," said Greg Rivera, foreman of the Sierra Nevada Construction crew.

When people think of workers most affected by temperatures such as the 104 recorded Tuesday, farm laborers harvesting crops in sun-baked fields often come to mind. But every business that employs people who work outside, from construction companies to the U.S. Postal Service, must comply with state and federal regulations meant to keep workers safe from overheating, said Kate McGuire, a spokeswoman with California's Department of Industrial Relations.

"It's up to employers to provide a safe and healthful workplace," she said.

Failing to do so could lead to extensive fines and business closure, not to mention serious illness and even death, said Jessica Hawthorne, an employment attorney with the California Chamber of Commerce.

Last year, California businesses racked up $828,440 in fines by failing to comply with state and federal heat rules, according to California's Division of Occupational Safety and Health. Two people have died this year because of the heat.

While agricultural workers are most often affected by the heat, they aren't alone. In 2005, four construction workers died of heat-related illnesses.

Farm laborers often start early to take advantage of the coolest hours of the morning.

"But we can't," Rivera said of his road crew, which starts work at 7 to 7:30 a.m. "The problem is we're working near a residential area. We can't start too early or we'll violate noise ordinances."

So Rivera tries to use the coolest hours efficiently by doing the hardest work, such as jackhammering, when his crew can cool off the fastest. He encourages the workers to wear hats, sunscreen and light-colored clothing.

Like most people working in this week's triple-digit heat, Rivera and his crew wouldn't be doing it unless they felt they had to. Construction workers have contracts. Farmworkers have produce that must be harvested before it spoils. And then there's the postal workers' unofficial motto.

"We have to deliver the mail regardless (of weather)," said Sacramento-based Postal Service spokesman Gus Ruiz.

Mail carriers, such as Florentino Cadiz of Modesto, lug water bottles and Gatorade along with heavy bundles of mail as they walk an average of seven miles a day from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

"The heat right now is ridiculous," Cadiz said as he walked through the shady La Loma neighborhood in Modesto.

Folks such as farmer Scott Long try beating the heat by remembering it's only temporary. After Sunday, it's expected to be in the low 90s.

"Then, it will just be another day in paradise," he said.

Bee videographer Brian Ramsay contributed to this report.

Bee staff writer Eve Hightower can be reached at ehightower@modbee.com or 578-2382.

EMPLOYER RESPONSIBILITY