ASHWAUBENON (NBC 26) — The National Weather Service recommends everyone avoid strenuous outdoor activity as poor air quality persists across Northeast Wisconsin, but blue collar workers push through and get the job done anyways.
- Much of Wisconsin is under an air quality advisory due to smoke from wildfires in Minnesota and Canada.
- Employees at All Out Asphalt worked on an Ashwaubenon business's parking lot on Thursday.
- The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health says outdoor workers should take frequent breaks away from the smoke.
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
“I checked the weather this morning to see how hot it was, and it was saying like air quality is not very good, and all that other stuff, so I was like man, it’s probably going to be a little weird today," Kayden Gorges, an outdoor worker, said.
Gorges is a seasonal worker for All Out Asphalt.
“We do the grating and the prep for the black top that will come for a later date," he said.
He’s used to working in heat, but this is new.
“It’s definitely crazy, not normal for sure," he said. "Especially because it says the sun is shining right now- I don’t see no sun.”
He says he’s not too worried about his health, but he can still feel the impacts.
“When you’re running back and fourth going to grab a different tool, going to grab the level, shoot a grade, whatever it is, you definitely feel the difference out here, no doubt," he said.
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health says outdoor workers should continuously monitor air quality conditions, take frequent breaks in areas that are free of smoke and drink plenty of water.
Gorges says overall, the smoke won’t interrupt their work
“It’s just another day out here," he said. "Hopefully it will clear up more tomorrow.”
