There are many professions that take Chicago residents outside of office buildings and into the natural environments of their communities. One of these professions is that of construction work. Construction workers undertake many of their responsibilities outdoors where they experience both the best and the worst that nature has to offer.
One element that can have a significant impact on how good or bad a person feels is temperature. The fluctuations that can occur in a day’s weather can have drastic implications for the men and women who must work outdoors in the ever-changing elements. Construction workers in Chicago have to contend with blistering summers, windy autumns and freezing winters.
As a result, construction workers can suffer some very serious weather related injuries. The stress that heat can impose on a person can lead to serious complications with the person’s heart and other vital organs; serious cases of heat stroke or other heat-related ailments can lead to the deaths of those affected.
On the other side of the temperature spectrum, cold temperatures can result in construction workers suffering from frostbite. Frostbite affects the body in such a way that people injured by its presence sometimes must have fingers, toes and even limbs removed due to the damage. In extreme situations, individuals who must work outdoors in cold temperatures have developed the sometimes-deadly condition of hypothermia.
Entities that employ construction workers have a responsibility to provide those who work for them with the right supplies and gear to be safe on their construction sites, regardless of what weather conditions are present. They also have an obligation to consider suspending operations of their workers’ health and safety could be jeopardized by proceeding to work in unsafe weather conditions. The weather in Chicago can change very quickly, and construction workers who are not given the right tools to contend with the elements can suffer serious injuries and even death.
