Employers take steps to help prevent heat illnesses among outdoor workers

TULARE COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- In the South Valley, events have been canceled on Thursday because of the heat.

Outdoor workers, like those in agriculture, city employees and outdoor market vendors are still showing up despite this heat wave.

Local employees are taking steps to prevent heat related illnesses.

"Whenever it's gonna be hot it's better to stay hydrated since the night before, like Gatorades, Pedialyte. That way whenever we are in the heat we don't dehydrate," said vendor Paulina Andrade.

Under the blazing sun, Paulina sells her health and beauty goods at the Visalia Flea Market.

This Thursday, it's a little slower than most, but Paulina has made even more sales than previous weeks.

That's because over 100 vendors did not show up due to heat waves and record breaking temperatures.

"If you see right now there are a lot of empty spots because a lot of vendors are afraid of the heat. Also a lot of vendors got heat strokes so they already know and they don't come," explained Paulina.

Also in Visalia, Reynaldo Camarillo spent Thursday morning working outdoors.

In this heat, he makes sure to drink plenty of water and take frequent breaks in the AC.

He will also be off earlier than usual.

"I start at 5 am and get out at 1:30 pm," said Reynaldo.

A change in scheduling is also common for the farming community.

Farmers and farm workers start their day at sunrise.

They wrap up as soon as it starts getting too hot.

"So they don't stress out, heat stroke, so on and so forth, we wanna take care of them," explained Joe Russell, a farmer and member with the Tulare County Farm Bureau.

Julie Martella is a member with the Kings County Farm Bureau and a Central Valley farmer.

Plenty of shade, water and frequent breaks are at the top of the list for their crews.

"We have good relationships with all of those components because we are all in this together, if our workers can't work then our jobs can't get done then we are all hurting," expresses Julie.

It's also important for people to know the symptoms of dehydration and heat stroke, and hydrating the day before is essential.

For news updates, follow Kassandra Gutierrez on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.