Heat wave makes work more difficult for many
Like much of the United States, Butler County is grappling with the hottest temperatures of the year this week, and residents are doing what they can to keep cool and cope with the conditions.
For some, this is easier said than done. This is especially true for those whose jobs require them to spend hours outdoors on days like Friday when the heat index topped 100 degrees Fahrenheit in parts of the county, including Karns City and Valencia, according to Shannon Heffran, meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Pittsburgh office.
Those who work in outdoor manual labor, like Lyndora-based roofing company Gill Construction, don’t have the option of simply turning up the air conditioner. They, along with road crews, landscapers, farmers and countless others, have to cope the best way they can.
“We try to start early so we can get out of there before it gets too hot,” said Tom Gill, president of Gill Construction. “The hottest part of the day is probably around 2. We try to clean up and get out of there by then.”
Roofing is an especially “hot” career during the summer, as heat from the sun can reflect from the roof tiles onto the people laying them down. This effect is more intense depending on the color and material of the tiles, with darker tiles reflecting more heat.
“If it gets too hot, we’ll call it a day,” Gill said. “There’s no point in cooking ourselves.”
Auto mechanics and repair shops are just as vulnerable to the heat as those who work in outdoor labor. Most small auto repair shops are based in garages, which where doors may be open much of the time.
One of those auto repair shops, Steiner’s Garage on South Chestnut Street, has three industrial-strength fans running continuously to make work more bearable.
“I think the last time we looked at the temp gauge in here, it was 94 [degrees], and that’s with three big fans running,” said mechanic Pat Rape. “We have an office that’s air-conditioned, so every once in a while we take a break, go in the office, and drink some water.”
Even those who work indoors aren’t guaranteed a shield from the heat wave. By its very nature, dry cleaning is a hot and humid business, and the current heat wave has only exacerbated the sweltering conditions for those who work in dry cleaner shops.
At Capitol Cleaners — located on Center Avenue in Butler — only part of the building is air-conditioned. The back of building has air vents and fans, but they do little to relieve the sweltering conditions.
“The process is powered by steam, so there’s a boiler,” said Frank Pikoulas, brother-in-law of owner Dean Pikoulas. “So even in the wintertime … it’s still warm back there.”
As such, Capitol has had to make some changes lately.
Like Gill Construction, the cleaners at Capitol come in earlier and leave earlier on hotter days to get work done during cooler conditions. However, the building is still open to the public during its scheduled hours.
“When we get days that are in the mid-to-low 80s, it’s easier to go longer,” Pikoulas said. “But once it gets above 85, then we have to go with an altered schedule.”
Temperatures in Butler are finally expected to stabilize on Sunday, July 30, with a relatively chilly high of 79 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the National Weather Service.
Eagle staff writer Irina Bucur contributed to this report.
