(Kansas City, MO) – The National Weather Service has issued an excessive heat warning which will produce a combination of dangerous heat and humidity throughout the Midwest. Even when there is an excessive heat warning in the forecast, work continues for KC Water. On days like these, crews keep cool with plenty of water and watch how their bodies respond to the heat.
“Safety for our employees is a priority,” said KC Water’s Safety and Security Manager, Dan Minor. “Therefore on days like these, it is extremely important for employees to hydrate before and during the time they are exposed to the heat and take breaks as needed. When your body’s cooling system can’t keep up with the heat, you dehydrate and your temperature rises. That’s when you get heat-related illnesses.” Minor continued.
KC Water followed a crew during the heat warning as they performed a surface defect inspection.
A surface defect inspection is performed to locate the cause of a dip or a defect on the surface. This work involves drilling a hole, testing the area with green dye, and sending a robot inside the sewer to look for leaks. The job could take up to an hour or longer.
“We are out here, rain, sleet, snow…we got to get it done,” said Reginald Silvers, a KC Water Engineer Tech-Lead for the Wastewater Prevention Maintenance Division. “If you feel the heat taking over then we take a break, cool off and get back to it.”
In addition to drinking plenty of water, crews take breaks as needed to prevent heat exhaustion.
For more information, please contact Heather Frierson, Media Relations Coordinator, at heather.frierson@kcmo.org or 816-513-0280.
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KC Water maintains and operates water treatment and distribution systems, stormwater management systems, and wastewater collection and treatment systems for residential and business customers in Kansas City and for wholesale customers in the Kansas City area. KC Water is primarily funded by fees charged to customers based on their use or impacts on the three utility systems.
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