Heat Wave Challenges Outdoor Workers, Data Centers

The following excerpt was taken from an article published in Twin City Business on 7-19-2011

Heat Wave Challenges Outdoor Workers, Data Centers

Companies that employ construction and other outdoor workers are having to make concessions due to the weather, and data center operators are working extra hard to keep optimum temperatures at facilities where equipment is stored.

… “Parkway Lawn Service in Minneapolis—which has about a dozen employees mowing, fertilizing, and performing other outdoor tasks for clients—had to send two crew members home yesterday after they showed signs of extreme exhaustion. “We know their safety is more important than getting these jobs done,” said Office Manager Daryl Larson. The workers typically put in four, 10-hour days and take Friday off. But on Monday, the company called it a day at 3:30.

The heat has also affected the lawns of some customers. Those who haven’t been watering more frequently haven’t seen much growth of their grass, Larson said. Parkway skips lawns that don’t need mowing and collects only $10 from those customers—considerably less than its typical fee.

Larson would like to be able to get workers to job sites earlier in the morning to beat the heat, but most city ordinances prohibit construction and other outdoor work before 7 a.m.” …

Bottom line is due to the heat wave that we will be a day behind on mowing this week and will finish up with mowing on Friday afternoon.