"It's suffocating"... Construction sites on high alert amid 38°C extreme heat wave

"It's so suffocating that it feels like pure torture."

As extreme heat waves continue across Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province, construction sites are waging a desperate battle against the heat.

Under blazing direct sunlight and the heat radiating from the ground, workers are repeating cycles of work and rest, struggling hard to prevent heat-related illnesses. Adjusting working hours and expanding break times have become routine responses to the heat at every site.

On the 29th, at a sports center construction site in Daegu, a worker surnamed Jeong said that recent continuous heat waves have made work significantly harder.

"The heat is so severe these days that we have to constantly alternate between working for a short time and resting," he said. "I'm worried that if the heat wave continues, the construction period might get longer."

In fact, severe heat wave warnings have been issued successively in Daegu recently, with daytime highs exceeding 38°C (100°F) for days, and temperatures in Sinam-dong, Dong-gu even soaring to 39.2°C (102°F).

On the rooftop of the construction site where Jeong works, concrete pouring work was in full swing this morning.

The thermometer provided at the site showed temperatures exceeding 33°C (91°F) at 10 a.m.

Passing through the covered 1st to 3rd floors and heading up to the 4th floor where the pouring work was underway, direct sunlight beat down mercilessly as sweat poured off workers' faces.

In the shade-less outdoor space, workers absorbed the sunlight with their entire bodies while continuously filling the floor with concrete flowing from equipment.

Although they were equipped with ice packs and cooling masks to guard against heatstroke, their work clothes were already soaked with sweat.

Site officials explained that even this was only possible because it was morning when the heat is slightly less intense.

Lim, a site manager, explained, "For safety, we focus on outdoor work in the morning and do tasks like organizing materials on floors with roofs in the afternoon."

He added, "We feel that this year's heat is extraordinary," and "We are paying special attention to preventing safety accidents such as heat-related illnesses."

Lim also said, "We have workers take about 15 to 20 minutes of rest after working for roughly an hour," and "Workers take breaks voluntarily whenever they sense any physical abnormalities in between."

Another apartment construction site in Daegu was no different in its battle against the heat.

Workers were struggling to lower the heat by continuously spraying cold water at the entrance of the construction site.

Long flags bearing the phrase "Heat Wave Warning" were installed at the site, seemingly to raise awareness among workers.

This site is also staking its all on heat wave preparations, starting work in the early dawn and temporarily halting work when the apparent temperature rises above 33°C (91°F).

A construction company official said, "Since the heat wave period lasts about a month, it doesn't have a major impact on the overall construction schedule," while adding, "We are paying utmost attention to both taking care of the workers' health and preventing disruptions to the construction schedule."

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.