A blast of cold air is expected to keep much of Northeast Ohio below-freezing for much of this week. That means those with outdoor jobs are bracing for another difficult week as they try to stay warm amid temperatures that can make them vulnerable to dangerous working conditions.
Forecasts in Cleveland are calling for temps to drop below freezing with wind gusts periodically reaching up to 40 miles per hour for much of this week and next, and temperatures in Akron are not expected to be any warmer.
Sam Soika works for Berkshire Construction and is currently working on the Sherwin-Williams Global Headquarters going up in Downtown Cleveland. About 70 to 80% of his job is done outdoors, and he said he definitely thinks about the dangers of working in cold weather when getting ready for work.
“You just got to do the best you can to try and be the safest you possibly can on days that are below freezing," said Soika, whose responsibilities include maintaining safety on the job site.
Cement masons and concrete finishers, construction laborers, firefighters, highway maintenance workers and roofers are among the professions most likely to require outdoor exposure, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Jessica Nething is a highway maintenance worker for the Ohio Department of Transportation in Portage County.
“Those are the days you want to make sure you’re working extra hard so you’re keeping your body warm," Nething said. "If you’re just standing around obviously, it’s very cold.”
It’s not just the cold temperatures Soika said he has to worry about. He also has to be mindful of precipitation and ice on the ground.
Although extreme heat is more dangerous for workers than extreme cold, extreme cold can still be fatal, BLS data shows.
From 2016 to 2020, there was an average of about 59 fatal work injuries nationwide per year where “weather and atmospheric conditions” were considered a secondary source to contributing the death. In each of those years, “ice, sleet and snow” were the most common weather conditions causing those deaths, followed by “high winds, gusts and turbulence.”
Soika said it's something workers think about.
“You got ice everywhere, snow everywhere, it’s raining. We do the best we can to eliminate those factors as part of our day-to-day work," he said. "But at the end of the day, you can only do so much to eliminate those factors, and there is always going to be a risk factor."
There’s no real secret formula to staying warm. Soika and Nething say they do what anybody would think to do: dress in layers.
“If we did get to that point where it was not safe, everybody here would be completely ok with us taking a break for a couple minutes. It’s not that big of a deal," Nething said.
In the five years since entering the construction field, Soika said it’s been rare, but not impossible to have work called off for dangerous weather conditions.
Although the construction industry can be challenging it is also work that provides a sense of satisfaction, he said.
“Not a lot of people want to do it or find enjoyment doing it,” Soika said. “So, there is like a badge of pride to it.”
