Advertisement
Boston's Morning Newsletter
Amid scorching heat, Mass. advocates urge precautions for vulnerable workers
Editor's Note: This is an excerpt from WBUR's daily morning newsletter, WBUR Today. If you like what you read and want it in your inbox, sign up here.
We’re on the verge of a great weekend of outside activities. There’s music festivals in Newport, Lowell and Cambridge. You can take in huge sand sculptures in Revere. Or catch a free performance of “Macbeth” on the Common. (Our theater critic says it’s “stunning.”)
But most of us still have to get through one more day of work. And amid this “oppressive” heat, certain workers have to be mindful of more than just a sweaty commute to the office.
Local worker rights advocates are reminding people who work outside or in hot conditions to take precautions. Francisca Sepulveda, an organizer with the Massachusetts Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health, tells WBUR’s Stevee Chapman that heat can adversely affect people at as low as 80 degrees. With the humidity today making it feel closer to 100, workers should be extra careful.
- Who’s vulnerable: Sepulveda says it’s not just outside workers like construction crews, landscapers and roofers, but also those in often-hot inside areas like kitchens, laundromats and factories.
- Sepulveda’s advice: “Always consider water, shade and breaks.” When it’s this hot, that means sips of water every 15 minutes. And breaks should last 10-15 minutes, always in the shade, she said.
- Find a partner: Sepulveda also recommends the buddy system to spot signs of heat-related illnesses among coworkers, like abnormal behavior, confusion and difficulty speaking.
- When to call 911: Mass. General’s Dr. Ali Raja says that medical attention is required “whenever you start noting somebody getting confused or stopping sweating or even vomiting.” That’s a sign of not just heat exhaustion, but heat stroke. “Heat stroke is a real emergency and that’s going to need treatment in a hospital,” Raja told WBUR’s Amy Sokolow. “That’s not the kind of thing that you’re going to be able to handle yourself.”
- More advice: Read the full list of tips for staying safe — and the eight mistakes to avoid — if you’re going out in this heat.
- Zoom out: President Biden rolled out some new measures yesterday aimed at protecting workers from extreme heat.
Some caution may be warranted if you’re headed to the beach to escape the heat. That’s because the National Weather Service has issued a warning for dangerous surf and rip currents today — primarily for beaches on the Cape and South Coast. “If you’re heading down to, say, Horse Neck Beach or any of the beaches in southern Rhode Island, those would be the ones most at risk,” said meteorologist Joe Dellicarpini, adding that the threat of rip currents for beaches up the coast in eastern Massachusetts is “much less.”
They say when one door closes, another one opens — and it’s sort of the inverse these days on the MBTA. Officials say they expect the Green Line’s B branch to reopen as scheduled tomorrow, following its 12-day closure for extensive track repairs. However, tomorrow also marks the beginning of another 12-day closure of Haymarket station due to Government Center Garage redevelopment construction.
- While Orange Line trains will simply bypass Haymarket, the closure will be a little more annoying for Green Line riders. That’s because trolley service will be suspended between North Station and Government Center. (The T says Green Line riders should walk between the two stations or switch onto the Orange Line.)
- Behind the scenes: MBTA General Manager Phil Eng is bringing in the “reinforcements.” He announced four new major hires yesterday — all of whom are New Yorkers, like him.
Bay Staters are one step closer to being able to change the gender on their birth certificate to the gender-neutral letter “X,” after the state Senate passed a bill yesterday to expand the option. (You can already choose “X” on state issued forms of ID, like drivers licenses.)
- Next up: The bill needs approval from the House. Despite the weather, relations between the two chambers have been a bit chilly lately, so TBD on if and when the House follows suit.
P.S.— Did you catch last night’s impressive double rainbow after the storm? WBUR photographer Jesse Costa did. Check out his photo here, along with many other dazzling sky shots from Universal Hub.
