Construction and lawn care workers in Saskatoon say they are taking more frequent breaks and staying hydrated as Environment Canada heat warnings cover most parts of the province.
“This is a physically demanding job, so there’s not much we can do, but we’re doing our best,” Liam Bell, a Saskatoon-based lawnmower, told Global News.
“It’s nice to start early in the mornings, trying to beat the heat, but not much you can do when it’s this hot.”
For other construction workers who spoke to Global News, beating the heat means taking more frequent “micro breaks,” stopping when they overheat and drinking plenty of water.
Get breaking National news
Taking it easier is an important strategy to stay safe during this stretch of heat, said Ryan Jacobson, CEO of the Saskatchewan Safety Council.
“While we typically can think, ‘well, I worked through this in August.’ Our body might not be able to work the same in May through that same type of heat wave,” he said.
As of Thursday evening, heat warnings covered Saskatchewan as far north as the Île-à-la-Crosse area, stretching south to the U.S. border.
An orange heat warning spanned from Saskatoon to Regina, indicating that temperatures would reach 35 degrees, with overnight lows near 18 degrees for the next two days.
Environment Canada cautions that extreme heat can affect people’s health and advises watching for early signs of heat exhaustion. Symptoms include headaches, nausea, dizziness, thirst and intense fatigue.
Drinking lots of fluids, seeking air-conditioned spaces and limiting direct exposure to the sun and heat are also recommended by the federal environment agency.
On Wednesday, nine Saskatchewan communities broke long-standing heat records, with Moose Jaw, Sask., recording the highest temperature in the country.
The Weyburn area was also among the hottest in the province, reaching over 34 degrees and beating its old record of 30 degrees set in 1969.
Other record-breakers include areas near Assiniboia, Lucky Lake, Elbow, Kindersley and Lloydminster.
COMPLAIN WHEN HOT, COMPLAIN WHEN COLD, COMPLAIN WHEN RAINING, COMPLAIN WHEN SNOWING !!! NEVER ENDING COMPLAINING ! EVER HEARD of DEAL WITH IT !!!