Keeping employees cool as extreme heat reaches Valley

FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- The extreme heat will keep many indoors in the air conditioning and under fans, but those working outside will need to find other ways to stay cool.

For those that can't just stay inside this weekend, there are regulations in place to help them stay safe.

Around Fresno, business owners are making sure they have plenty of options to keep their employees cool.

Temperatures are climbing across Central California and lines are long at the Red Carpet Car Wash in Fresno.

Between shining and buffing, employees are encouraged to keep cool.

"They have white towels that we hand out throughout the day that they put around their neck. So they put the cold water on the towels, wrap them around their necks," said Megan Nobles with Red Carpet Car Wash. "We do a morning check-in and that's about five minutes before we open up and so they will let them know every morning Hey, make sure you're utilizing the igloos the water the towels."

Between cars and on breaks they're reminded to grab a seat on any of the benches in the shade or pop into the lobby to cool down in the A/C. Those solutions are in line with steps laid out by Cal/OSHA to protect outdoor workers from heat illness.

Employers in California are required to take four steps: Training everyone about heat illness prevention, providing enough water for each employee, providing access to shade and encouraging employees to regularly cool down, and developing written procedures.

Construction workers around Fresno Thursday sought shade in the homes they were building. Field workers are covered head to toe to protect themselves from the sun, but the expected leap in temperatures raises concerns going into the weekend.

"So that's the problematic side of this is that the acclimatization where people need to get ready for it just isn't there," Ryan Jacobsen, CEO of Fresno County Farm Bureau. "Most of these heat illnesses episodes actually occur in the first three days that a person is on the job, you know, above 100 degrees."

It's important to take it easy on the front end while getting used to those high temperatures, but Jacobsen said safety measures are key throughout the summer. Staying hydrated, seeking shade, and using a buddy system to look out for one another.

"You're looking for, you know signs of whether it's headaches, not feeling well, dizziness, sometimes, this is kind of counter-intuitive, but the person's not sweating during that type of episode," said Jacobsen.

The heat is dangerous, but Jacobsen said proper procedures can allow people to weather it safely.

Jacobsen said if you're out in the heat make sure you're constantly sipping on water and maybe even wear protective clothing that reflects heat and keeps you cool.

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