Some work crews for the city of Pendleton will begin working at 6 a.m. because of high temperatures in the summer months.
These work weeks will be based on weather forecasts for temperatures at or above 90oF. Otherwise work crews will start at 7 a.m., their normal summer hour time.
“We are doing this to try to keep our employees out of the heat in the hottest part of the day,” said Public Works Superintendent Jeff Brown. “By starting earlier, we can get most of our work done between 6 a.m. and 1 in the afternoon and try to keep our projects moving forward during high heat.”
Earlier this year, Oregon OSHA adopted new rules to protect workers from high heat and wildfire smoke. The Mandatory Information for Heat Illness Prevention rules went into effect June 15 and stipulate specific rest break durations and intervals based on the day’s heat index. During temperatures of 90 degrees or greater, the rule requires 10 minutes of a cool-down rest break every two hours; when the temperature is 105 degrees or greater, that number jumps up to 40 minutes of rest break every hour.
Because the change would require some heavy equipment work in the 6 a.m. hour, the city will be exploring adjusting its noise ordinance to allow for the seasonal change. The current ordinance limits construction to between the hours of 7 a.m. and 6 p.m., and the adjustment would allow city departments to use heavy equipment for an extra hour, from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., during the summer months. The 6 a.m. time start was chosen as a compromise between efficiency for work crews and respect for Pendleton residents.
“In order to be more efficient with our crews, we’re looking to start earlier in the day while still trying to be respectful of noise,” Public Works Director Bob Patterson said.
With the new schedule, Public Works crews will join employees of Pendleton Parks and Recreation in the early work hours. Parks and Recreation operates on a seasonal schedule where employees work 6 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. during the late spring and summer.
