Sweating It Out

Talking to God helps Tony Williams get through the workday.

Williams, an employee for Gershon Electric, spends about 90 percent of his day working outside. With temperatures soaring into the triple digits countless times over the past couple weeks, Williams thinks about God and talks to him to help himself not focus too much on the heat.

“From my heart I speak to him and speak to him to help me get through this day with no hurt harm or danger,” Williams said. “That is how I get through most of my days. I say, ‘Lord, let it cool off for a minute or bring a cool breeze or bring some shade over us.’”

STAYING POSITIVE AND REFLECTIVE

As the humidity and bright sun pelts against his hardhat and orange safety jacket, Williams jokes with his co-worker and maintains a huge smile.

Despite the countless heat advisories that have been issued over the past week and the National Weather Service’s excessive heat warning set to expire at 7 p.m. Wednesday—temperatures of 100-110 degrees are expected during the afternoon and early evening hours—Williams' positive demeanor appears to be insurmountable.

“I’ve been working outdoors for 15 years, and I know what’s coming,” Williams said. “I can’t change the season so I don’t let it bother me.”

FOCUS ON THE TASK AT HAND

Workers like Williams and Mike Eatherton, owner of Eatherton Lawn and Land, fall into the category of those who must work outside. Fortunately, both of have been working outside in the heat long enough to know how to stay healthy while doing so. Etherton says he drinks close to two gallons of water a day during the 85-90 percent of the work day that his job requires him to be outside.

As Eatherton cuffs his sun-tanned muscular arms around a shovel and digs into the cracked dirt of a property near the corner of North Clay and Peeke Avenues, he wipes the sweat from his face and focuses on the job at hand.

For Eatherton, there is no time to think about the intrusive sun that is blocked from his eyes by his sun hat. Everday, Etherton has a lengthy list of jobs to get done that include planting, mowing lawns and cleaning job sites. Instead of focusing on the heat, he turns his attention to getting his work done and the upcoming weekend.

“I just look at it as I have to get this done, because if I don’t get it done, then someone else will, and I won’t have the work,” Etherton said.

With the heat as bad as it’s been, Etherton usually has his team start in the early morning and end in the early afternoon, but as the owner of the company, Etherton’s days don’t end until 4 or 5 p.m. According to Etherton, if he goes home for lunch and sits in the AC, it makes it harder for him to go back outside, so he likes to work though lunch.

“KNOW YOUR LIMITS”

One of the ICS Construction Services’ employees to in Kirkwood, Kevin Reid has been working outside either as a roofer or a construction worker most of his life and says the heat doesn’t bother him at all. 

“Know your limits,” Reid advises. “Your body will tell you when it is time to get out of it. So that is what I do. I go home and take it easy after that.”