It's just after 1 p.m. on a sweltering Wednesday in late July, and landscaper Silas Maggard is on his riding lawn mower. This, as a large part of the country, including the Ozarks region, is under an excessive heat warning.
"I hear that we've got triple digit heat indexes coming in, and we're implementing a early start and an early shutdown, he said. "We've got a water cooler. Of course, we've got the redneck air conditioner with the windows rolled down in the truck. Other than that, we just do our best to stay hydrated."
Right up the street is a team of contractors replacing a roof. Brock Shankweiler leads the team and runs a local home restoration company. He said the heat has forced him to adjust work schedules.
"A lot of it's strategy for us, so, you know, if you notice the sun side's completely cleared off — so they hit that first thing this morning so that way when they get to the hard work, they get to spend the afternoon working in the shade over there," he said.
Those who work in the heat face a unique challenge staying safe and healthy while also being productive. Shankweiler, who's lived in the Midwest for 10 years, said the humidity is really what makes the heat unbearable.
"What I think we've noticed lately is honestly the humidity factor. That's what's making it feel heavy. I think. I don't know what — if that has to do with all the rain we've had or how that affects, but, you know, the thicker that humidity is, the hotter it's going to be," he said. "One factor we look at is the dew percentage in the morning. So if that dew percentage is over 70%, it's going to be a thick, thick day for these guys."
Decades of research on climate change is shaping the conversation around heat safety. According to NASA, climate change refers to long term shifts in temperature and weather patterns. As for the root cause, scientists point to gas emissions that are impacting the Earth's ozone layer. Scientists say these emissions in the atmosphere are both trapping and slowing heat loss to space, and this is what's causing the Earth to feel hotter. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says in 2024, we saw the warmest year on record since 1850.
"Growing up here, we would get blizzards, it seems like. And you just get stuck, you know what I'm saying?"
That's Springfield native and builder, Mark Whiteside. He doesn't claim to be an expert on climate change but said a noticeable difference in seasons over the years has directly impacted his income.
"I forget what year that was, but there is one storm in particular. It was so deep. I remember I had a four wheel drive and we still got stuck, you know? And so the winters are a lot milder. And I know, I know they are because we do snow plowing in the winter as well. And so the money's gotten less on that because the the temperature's just getting higher," he said.
Russell Hines, owner of Mid-America Safety and Environmental, agreed that the heat can negatively impact the bottom line but more importantly, could result in a tragic outcome.
"Definitely hope we don't get a phone call that we've had an employee go into heat stroke and has been hospitalized and God forbid a fatality occurs. That's our biggest concern," he said.
Hines' company focuses on teaching best practices to employees and subcontractors who work in extreme temperatures.
NIOSH — National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health — I believe it was back in 2017, published a guide and said, based on heat index, this is —and based on workload, and they they rate it as low, moderate or heavy, your work period should be X and your brakes should be X. And as, obviously as the heat index goes up, the work periods shorten, the break periods lengthen, and if companies will follow that, they found that it actually provides safety for their employees. And the employees seem to — they like the breaks," said Hines.
Hines said the State of Missouri currently does not have its own heat safety standard, nor does the Occupational Safety and Health Administration or OSHA. A new federal OSHA heat standard is expected to roll out sometime this year, but in the meantime, Whiteside has a few words of advice for anyone who has to work in the heat.
"Maybe take some tips, like wearing a head wrap. You can find head wraps off of Amazon. It's like a cooling gel. Once you freeze them, they'll stay cold on your head. Get a couple of those," he said. "Have coolers with you at all times and then, you know, try to stay out of the sun. I know roofers, they ain't getting out of the sun, but you can wear, like, long sleeve if you got to some breathable shirts, maybe sombrero hats. But yeah, stay hydrated and try to stay covered a little bit."
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. is expected to continue to warm faster than any other part of the world, with the number of days above 95 degrees expected to increase.