M
acon-Bibb County, Georgia
Forester and Parks and
Beautification Director Michael
Glisson recommends holding heat
stress training for the tree crew in
mid-spring to early summer to ensure
the guidance is fresh in folks' minds
just as the worst of the heat sets
in. Glisson's department has a Heat
Index Policy; if the Heat Index is above
100°F (37.8°C), the crew leaders will
say, "We're going to practice '1-and-
10' today," meaning everyone can
take a 10-minute break after each
hour of work. "They aren't required
to, but they are encouraged to,"
Glisson says. "The trucks are air-condi-
tioned and if the AC fails, the vehicle
goes immediately to the shop—we
don't mess around with that."
Glisson's crew starts early (6 a.m.) and
switches to indoor work for the after-
noon during heat waves. "The crew
members are encouraged to refill the
coolers at any county building—and
to cool off at any county building,
including recreation centers and fire
stations," Glisson says. In addition,
he orders the crew sun hoodies and
cooling towels that can be wetted
and wrapped around the neck.
I asked Glisson about
acclimatiza-
tion
for folks who aren't used to
working in the heat or are returning
after time away from it. He says, "I've
been thinking more and more about
that. With new guys, when we look at
their resume and see they don't have
experience with outdoor work, we're
very clear about 'Hey, take a break
when you need to—and if you feel
like you're being pushed too hard, let
us know. We want you to enjoy your
job. We don't want to work you into
the ground and have you quit.'" >>
Former UCFS Board Member and
current City of Coral Springs, Florida
Environmental Program Manager
(in the Public Works Department)
Claudia Alzate explains that most
of the landscape and tree work she
oversees is handled by contractors.
"So I really haven't had a lot of
input on what they do internally
to handle the high temperatures
and meet the (sometimes tight)
deadlines I give them," she says. "In
our City, we have a noise ordinance
that prohibits work before 9 a.m.;
some of the vendors have asked
me for permission to start work
earlier, so I allow them to do that
in commercial areas. Also, work
in roadways on weekends is not
allowed, but I've been letting them
work on secondary roads some
Saturday mornings (if requested)."
ucfsociety.org 37
