MACON, Ga. — Maurice Bonner doesn't know why he works building roads some days.
"I said 'Lord have mercy. Why did I take this job,'" Bonner said.
Right now his manual labor job is even harder than usual because of the extreme heat. With temperatures rising into the high 90s in Macon this week, it's even more important to stay safe.
"You kind of get used to it, but this year's been kinda rough though," he said.
He's lived in Georgia for years, but said he doesn't normally remember it being as hot this time of year.
Working with asphalt makes for even hotter temperatures he and his crew deal with.
Right now, they're working on transforming the former Piggly Wiggly on Eisenhower Parkway to an indoor storage facility.
He's worked at his job for about five years and loves the work he does with his coworkers. They keep each other on track and look out for one another with the heat.
They rely on fans, water, electrolytes, and breaks throughout the day to keep them going in this weather.
Rupert Burrows is a superintendent for Elm Builders and oversees the safety of the crew.
"If someone feels like they need to sit down, I definitely encourage them to take a break," Burrows said.
He also said they usually start earlier in the summertime to attempt to beat the heat. They start around 5:30 a.m. - 6:30 a.m. and hope to finish before the harshest hours of the day.
If you're also working outside this summer, you may want to know about a tool that can help. Occupational Safety and Health Administration has a tool called the heat-safety app. It calculates the current heat index, shows the current risk level for workers, and gives reminders on protective measures.
Don't forget, we devoted a whole 30-minute special to help "keep you safe in the summer" - whether you're at the pool, behind the grill, at the beach, or on the water.
Watch our summer safety special right now on 13wmaz plus. You can download the app on your Roku or amazon fire tv-- and start streaming on your own time