More water, a little less work helps construction crews weather the heat
Harrison Thorp 8:40 a.m.
ROCHESTER - As the temperture hit 96 at high noon on Monday, an underground utility construction crew worked across the street from Headlines Boutique on Columbus Avenue digging into a trench under a blistering midday sun. "I'm not going to make these guys work as hard as a I would on a cool day," said the NEUCO crew's foreman, who preferred not to give his name. "I'll let the machines do more of the work."
He pointed to a compact utility loader that was tamping down dirt, adding, "I'd usually have one of my crew doing that with a shovel, but not today." He said on a day this hot, they take a water break every 30 minutes. "We try not to work as hard or as long," he added, noting that if the mercury hits "the trips" they call it a day. Today will be cooler, but not by much with a high of 95. Tomorrow it drops back into the 80s.
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