So I assume we have some people in that line of work here.

Why is the media blowing this up and making abbott to be a demon? There's no way that construction workers can't constantly drink water on the job in this heat. They would be passing out left and right if not.

I would think companies and site managers understand the a proper work to rest ratio.

So explain this to me like im 5.

Explain to me what the **** you're taking about like I'm 5

Austin and Dallas have ordinances in place that mandate a 10-minute water break every four hours for construction workers (it should be more frequent breaks when it's this hot, but that's another topic). Abbott has been going after local governments by passing these type of pre-emptive laws, and this is one of them. It's a bunch of political posturing on both sides, that happens on days that ends in Y.

I was a midstream energy construction PM for a decade or so. Most of the companies that we worked for had a safety program that defined break times for a given temperature range.

When it gets this hot it's usually 30 mins work then a 10 minute break.

Exxon was the most stringent. Their projects were straight T&M so they had total control. We would hire water-break trailers. You walk through the misting fans and get a bottle of cold water then hang out in the covered misting area in the front of the trailer before returning to work. They can be pulled down the ROW on a pipeline job or parked on a station site.

We used to really push heat safety. It can get bad real quick ,especially with the majors requiring FR clothing.

I bet Abbott is running over their water bottles to break them.

Not sure why politicians are getting involved in water break laws

Have not heard about it but running a construction company in Texas for the last 15 years I can assure you the construction workers stay hydrated better than the ladies in the air-conditioned office.

So Austin and Dallas had laws that mandated construction workers stop work to stand around in the heat and pound water during a confined period of time leading to being in the heat LONGER and also increasing the risk of cramps and other issues from drinking water in intermittent spurts.

Damn libs are absolutely ****ing stupid. Stupid probably gets pissed at being associated with them day in and day out.

https://www.texastribune.org/2023/06/16/texas-heat-wave-water-break-construction-workers/

This is a solution in search of a problem. No construction company wants their workers to pass out from heat exhaustion, bad for business.

The bill to prevent local ordinances exceeding state law is being spun into something which prevents water breaks. As if any GC or sub wants a passed out or dead dude on their site. Our safety manager at one site used to shut down work for 15 minutes at given intervals or certain temp spikes and make everyone take a break. Walk a job site somewhere and see the water bottles, Gatorade bottles etc all over the place. Just because there isn't a law requiring it doesn't mean it can't happen organically.

If you want to fix a real problem, ban phones on job sites. A good number of GC's are already doing so if you aren't a foreman.

It's possible to work in construction AND drink water while doing it.....shocking I know. You don't have to actually take break to drink water from a bottle while working.

When I was working as a derrickman before and during college, we took water breaks and sat and cooled down as needed. No set times, no time limitations. One July or August day, we were rigging up on a location and putting out our screw anchors. The ground was hard as concrete, we poured water in the hole, did all we knew to do but the going was pretty slow in the heat. As I recall, the temperature was 100 or 101, no shade anywhere.

We sat on the tailgate of a couple of pickups and took a water break. Our tool pusher came up and rolled down his window about three inches (his air conditioner was running full blast) and said "guess we are going to have to shut down for the summer since you can't seem to work in the heat." Our rig runner (who was not playing with a full deck to begin with) grabbed the window and tried to break it, threatening the tool pusher the whole time. Wish he could have gotten him out of the car, lol.

The tool pusher reported the incident to the owner of the workover company and he got replaced by someone else within a few hours.

I can't imagine any company discouraging water breaks and cool down periods. When I worked in that kind of heat I was 18 to 27 years old. I don't see how guys in their 40s and 50s do it, particularly with all the clothing and vests and such they wear now.

Undoubtedly the Ds want all water breaks recorded and verified. If anyone missed required break by more than five minutes, the company gets fined. Think of all the unionized people who will need to be employed to keep track of water breaks.

torrid said:

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Undoubtedly the Ds want all water breaks recorded and verified. If anyone missed required break by more than five minutes, the company gets fined. Think of all the unionized people who will need to be employed to keep track of water breaks.

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This is what it is all about. Punish companies, particular companies in the construction business, use the "atrocities" to demand worker's rights which in lib speak means unions, who then grift from their union workers in order to make campaign contributions to liberal scumbags. Rinse, repeat, enjoy the proceeds.

This is all about stopping stupid crap coming out of Travis, Bexar, Harris, and Dallas counties and their respective cities.

Abbott has had to continue the WuFlu "emergency" to keep them from doing something stupid like a mask mandate, shot mandate, or closing schools/businesses again simply because they can do so.