DTE workers battle extreme heat on the job

FOX 2 - The heat has been extra challenging for first responders and those who work outside.

The backstory:

And if you are working for DTE Energy out in the field, to top it off, your arms and legs have to be completely covered.

FOX 2 caught up with some DTE workers out in this extreme heat on Thursday.

Workers take breaks,  to avoid heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

Eric Janness is the DTE Director of the gas renewal program.

"I'm wearing fire-retardant clothing. I have it on both my top as well as my jeans," he said. "We also wear hard hats, safety glasses—which I don't have on right now, but I have them here—and typically we would have gloves on as well, along with steel-toed boots."

Janess said safety precautions are key.

"In order for us to maintain work within this kind of environment, we do take very, very many breaks," he said. "We make sure our folks are drinking lots of water, whether it's Gatorade. I actually prefer them to be drinking Pedialyte. We take significant breaks and get back into the truck.

"When it gets as hot as it is right now, since it's exceeding 99 degrees, we might be out for 20 or 30 minutes, then we're going to take a break for 20 to 30 minutes. We'll just keep rotating folks through until we get the job done."

Janess said they watch out for each other.

"We have what we call 200% accountability, which means you're not only looking out for yourself, but you're looking out for your partner," he said. "Communication is a big deal, so we communicate how we're feeling."

He said that they recommend a healthy diet that is high in protein and low in fat.

"A lot of our crews follow that regimen. We have a whole group within the corporation that assists our folks with meal planning, and these crews do take advantage of that," he said.

So why Pedialyte over Gatorade? Eric says Pedialyte has a lot less sugar.