Construction crews tackle summer heat; Safety tips for outdoor workers

SPRING LAKE, N.C. (WTVD) -- As the early summer heat intensifies, construction crews in Cumberland County are taking extra precautions to protect themselves from dangerous outdoor temperatures.

Joshua Carter, co-owner of K&K Home builders, said his team has restructured their routines to cope with the heat. "You know, put a towel around your neck. I like to personally like wet my wrists," Carter said at a Spring Lake construction site, where he and his employees were working on a home.

The crew now starts their day an hour earlier and schedules more 15- to 30-minute breaks throughout their eight-hour shifts. On the hottest days, lunch breaks may last up to an hour.

"I actually had a couple guys that, you know, had to sit down for some time just because they got so hot," Carter said. "I think anybody who's been in it has been too hot before. They know what that feels like. It's, you know, a little dizzy. You know, you're starting to breathe a little heavier."

Carter emphasized the importance of hydration on the job. "We got our coolers and stuff in the shade. We got water cups here. We got a water cooler here with ice water in it." His crew consumes a case of water and several bottles of sports drinks each day.

According to the North Carolina Department of Public Health, nearly one in five heat-related emergency room visits are linked to workplace heat exposure. Dr. George Agbakoba of Cape Fear Valley Hospital in Fayetteville advises workers to keep an ice pack nearby and stay vigilant about their fluid intake.

"A lot of people think when it comes to thirst, that when you're feeling thirst season, you should drink water. Actually, that can be a sign or a late sign of dehydration," Agbakoba said.

Symptoms of heat exhaustion

Muscle cramps, feeling faint or dizzy, heavy sweating, and a rapid, weak pulse

Signs of heat stroke

Signs of heat stroke are more serve such as a throbbing headache, lack of sweating, a body temperature above 103 degrees, a rapid, strong pulse, and possible loss of consciousness

"If you're getting like really tired, cramping, muscle weakness, you're kind of feeling a little bit loopy. And then on the other end of the scale, heat strokes, where, you know, people can even have like, you know, seizures, they can become very confused," Agbakoba said.

Carter said his top priority is his crew's well-being. "Getting these guys home safe, you know, so their families and everything and all that's that's our number one, getting the house built is number two."

Experts urge outdoor workers to monitor each other for signs of heat-related illness and seek shade and hydration at the first sign of trouble.

Download the ABC11 News app to get breaking news and weather alerts

SEE ALSO | Heat safety tips to keep humans and pets safe from heat-related illnesses