Philly weather: How do outdoor workers cope in extreme temperatures?

When you are required to work outside, how do you handle temperature extremes, whether too hot or too cold?

This week’s brutal cold snap in the Northeast has seemed unrelenting and for those who work outdoors, staying warm is paramount in their workday.

What we know:

Snow blanketed the entire region Sunday and on the back end of that snow, temperatures plummeted, sending the area into a freezer. Monday highs only reached into the 20s, while Tuesday and Wednesday's highs only made it into the teens.

The brutally cold temperatures doesn’t mean a day off, even for those that have to work outside.

What they're saying:

 

Sanitation

For Philadelphia’s Department of Sanitation, days like Wednesday do not get any easier.

"You gotta take it day by day with this," says Aaron Deshields, a sanitation driver with 24 years’ experience working for the department. "We try to take it hour by hour, we try to take frequent breaks, which isn’t enough. We try to dress in layers."

It’s one of the many jobs that don’t stop when the temperatures drop dangerously low. Deshields and his colleagues say frequent breaks and layers is the game plan.

Roofing

"It’s slick, it’s vicious at times, but we gotta pay our bills," says Rob Pomroy, an employee with Alpha Roofing.

Co-owner of Alpha Roofing, Jim Barton, says they had to evaluate a roof of a home on Wednesday morning, and will likely be back out to repair it this week. They use heaters to dry off the roof, which can also help keep them warm while they are working.

"We went out, we had to shovel off the snow, so we could see what’s going on for her," says Barton. "You definitely gotta get bundled up that’s for sure."

City Workers

There are no "cold weather" days off for first responders, and staff with the Center City District were out and about around City Hall, keeping the area clean while bundled up.

James Gilmartin, a union glazer with Local 252, says handling cold materials like glass and metal still goes on as planned.

"Keep moving, mind over matter, and yeah, just do it," he says. "Sometimes you can’t handle the materials or screw guns with gloves on, so just do what you have to."

Moving Companies

The cold also isn’t much of an excuse to cancel an entire move.

Justin Freeman with moving company, I Like to Move it, says moving, literally, is how he gets through the day.

"The moment I get cold or stand too long, that’s when I get cold, so as long as I keep moving, keep loading, I’ll be fine, and bundle up of course."

Winter WeatherPhiladelphiaNews