‘We’re Praying’: Extreme Texas Heat Brings Construction Worker Safety To The Fore

Texas is seeing its most sweltering summer in over a decade as temperatures break records in Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston, while lingering above 100 degrees Fahrenheit for more than 40 consecutive days in Austin.

Professionals in the construction and commercial property management industries say they've become used to overcoming the obstacles extreme Texas weather can throw at them. But the persistent heat and the danger it presents has them doubling down on emphasizing worker safety and the importance of offseason maintenance.

“We just take a common sense approach to the heat. We want everyone to be safe,” said Kristi Sutterfield, CEO of the Greater San Antonio Builders Association. Over the weekend, San Antonio tied its own record for the most consecutive days that have broken 100 degrees.

Crews are going out earlier, before the sun is up, Sutterfield said. One builder reported having to petition a homeowners association to be allowed to start at 5 a.m., since its rules typically allow no earlier than a 7 a.m. start, she said.

“The homeowners association granted it,” Sutterfield said.

Other builders are using pop-up tents so those working on roofs and exteriors of buildings can have shade, she said. Sutterfield has also seen that many builders are not requiring full workdays in the heat.

So far, she has not heard of any project delays despite the scorching conditions.

“It has been unrelenting, and it is crazy. A lot of materials can carry the heat, too, so our members are taking extra precautions,” she said. “We’re praying that we’re going to get a break from the heat.”

Texas' more southern cities were seeing slight relief Tuesday, with some cloud coverage and rain bringing highs below 100 degrees. But starting again Wednesday, the state's four largest metropolitan areas were poised to see another series of days with highs at or above 100 degrees.

Despite a high of 97 degrees in Houston on Tuesday, a heat advisory remains in effect with heat indexes expected to reach 112 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. A temperature of 108 on Sunday made it Houston’s hottest Aug. 20 on record, which came on the city's 45th day without rain. 

In Dallas, a high of 109 degrees is expected on Friday, according to the NWS. Dallas-Fort Worth, Austin and San Antonio remain under NWS’ Red Flag Warning, meaning extreme fire weather conditions are occurring or imminent. 

The record-breaking temperatures come less than two weeks before a new Texas law eliminating local rules mandating water breaks for construction workers will take effect. The law will eliminate ordinances enacted by Austin in 2010 and Dallas in 2015 that require 10-minute breaks every four hours for construction workers to drink water and get out of the sun. 

David Lehde, director of government affairs for the Dallas Builders Association, said he doesn’t expect this law to have an impact on local construction workers. 

“That law does not prohibit rest or water breaks in any manner on a job site. Our members are going to continue to do what they’re encouraged to do,” Lehde said. “There’s an affection for our laborers. Our builders generally love these guys, so they want them to do well.”

The new law was surprising to hear about, said Laurel Dicus, communications manager for Rogers-O’Brien Construction, which is headquartered in Dallas and has offices throughout the state.

“Why would we not care about [worker] safety? From a personal standpoint, but also a business standpoint, it’s the right thing to do but it’s also the smarter thing to do,” she said.

Early this year, Rogers-O’Brien partnered with Sentinel Occupational Safety to use Sentinel's SafeGuard program to monitor workers’ vitals and alert a supervisor if they need a break or medical attention. Rogers-O’Brien provides each hourly field employee with a Garmin watch that leaves them in control of their overall data, but alerts a safety supervisor if something goes wrong, Dicus said.

“In construction, folks are a little less likely to voluntarily take breaks,” she said. “There’s still kind of that ‘Oh, I’m tough, I’m just going to power through it.’ So we love that we get to look out for them as well.” 

From a property management perspective, it is important to capitalize on nonpeak periods to do proactive maintenance and equipment replacements, said Bill Moebius, senior vice president and group manager of property management for JLL, based in Dallas.

Air conditioning systems are more likely to break down during the summer because they are running constantly, he said. If a commercial building’s heating, ventilation and air conditioning system needs servicing during the summer, it will likely fall in line for service behind schools, which tend to retrofit during the summer months when buildings are not occupied, he said.

“It’s really a bad time for things to go out,” Moebius said. “Doing the more significant maintenance during the spring and fall months … is much preferable to doing significant things during the summer for a variety of reasons, including the safety of the personnel, but also the practicality of not wanting to take the equipment offline then.” 

Some builders are not allowing contractors to work after 3 p.m. when it is 100 degrees or hotter outside, Lehde said. Some are prioritizing getting the air conditioning installed and running as soon as possible so they can work indoors or take breaks out of the beating sun.

Working in extreme heat is manageable with a few tweaks and diligent attention to safety. For some, the heat is a bonus. Hot weather is actually easier to build in than rainy weather, said Aimee Bertrand, executive vice president and CEO of the Greater Houston Builders Association.

“It’s the best of times, it’s the worst of times,” she said. “We get a number of things thrown at us on the Gulf Coast, whether it’s wild tropical weather or unexpected freezes. This goes along the lines of making sure that as we’re building, we’re being conscientious of crews and making sure that our community continues to grow the way we need it to.” 

No matter the temperature, construction is still necessary and the show must go on.

“We certainly need the houses,” Bertrand said. “We know we don’t have the inventory that people are clamoring for.”