Oregon Public Broadcasting

With record and near-record temperatures all around the Northwest Tuesday, it's tough to be working outside. Health officials say people who don't prepare could be vulnerable to heat stroke. 

Correspondent Doug Nadvornick visited one north Idaho road crew to find out how they cope with the high temperatures.

The state of Idaho is widening U.S. Highway 95, a few miles north of Coeur d'Alene.

The new blacktop looks and drives nice. But it's oppressively hot for the people who stand and work on this surface all day long.

Feet burn. The heat waves that waft from the asphalt can overwhelm workers.

J.J. Johnson works for a consulting company that's managing these road projects. He says it's up to crew bosses to pay attention to signs of heat stress in their employees.

J.J. Johnson: “You've got to be very diligent about seeing those signs early because they can really get dangerous if they progress too far.”

Johnson says workers need to drink lots of water and get cooled off frequently. He says road crews sometimes avoid the heat by working at night.