By Maria Irshad

Summer and simmering sunshine foster images of frolicking at the beach, sunbathing on a cushy lounge chair by a blue, Olympic-sized pool and scrumptious picnics in the park.

Rarely will your first thought be of skin cancer, heat stroke, dehydration or heat exhaustion. But it should be.

For city employees who work in the field, protection from the sun and heat is first on their list. Their livelihood depends on it.

Keeping your cool
Janice Sanders, an equipment operator in solid waste management, rides on top of a garbage truck where the temperature is several degrees higher than the ground.

She’s been with the city 11 years, always working in the field. And with Houston summers showing no sign of waning, Sanders is prepared to fight the heat.

Janice Sanders, equipment operator in SWM, sits up high in the garbage truck. She keeps cool by taking frequent breaks and drinking plenty of water. (Photo by Maria Irshad)

She buys water by the case and keeps track of how many bottles she drinks every day. She’s averaging 12. At 16.9 ounces per bottle, that’s 202.8 ounces per day.

“You also have to eat right,” Sanders said. “Nothing greasy, or you feel sick out there.”

Horticulturist Carol Pompilo, of the parks and recreation department, moved from Baltimore to Houston six years ago.

“Baltimore was hot and humid, but summer didn’t last six months,” Pompilo said. “So I could handle the heat and humidity, but not the duration.

“The first summer I was here, it seemed like the temperature got up to 107 degrees for weeks on end,” Pompilo said. She keeps cool by wearing a hat and covering up with lightweight clothing that includes the long-sleeved T-shirt that’s part of the parks uniform.

Greenhouses magnify the sun’s rays to nuture and grow plants. While this is great for the plants, it’s not so great for parks horticulturist Carol Pompilo. Following the American Cancer Society’s advice of “Slip, slop, slap,” she fights the heat and sun. (Photo by Maria Irshad)

Their tactics are similar to those recommended by the Mayo Clinic and the American Academy of Dermatologists.

According to the Mayo Clinic, symptoms of heat exhaustion include nausea, rapid heartbeat, low-grade fever, low blood pressure and dizziness.

Don’t use ice water to cool off. Instead, sit in the shade or air conditioning and drink cool, not iced, water, or a drink containing electrolytes. Elevate your feet slightly and loosen your clothing.

Heat exhaustion can quickly become heatstroke. Monitor the situation, and if fever rises or there are seizures or fainting, call 911.

Heatstroke can be fatal.

During daily safety meetings with employees who maintain the yards at repair centers, Pete Salinas makes sure his employees have enough water and Gatorade.

Salinas, an assistant superintendent in the solid waste management department, encourages frequent breaks. “I’ve been out there myself,” Salinas said. “It’s rough.”

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