Bay Area day laborers face few options amid soaring temperatures

SAN FRANCISCO -- People throughout the Bay Area are trying to find ways to avoid the heat by staying indoors and in air-conditioned spaces, but some don't have that option.

Among those are day laborers who are forced to work outside to support themselves and their families. So how do they handle the oppressive heat?

"Drink water, a lot of water. The important thing is to stay hydrated," said Héctor, a labor worker in the East Bay. 

Héctor arrived at Monument Impact around 7 a.m. Thursday. It's a place in Concord that offers a number of services, including connecting workers with employers if they don't have a job for the day. 

Héctor did have one Thursday. He would be helping move furniture from one place to another, and it would be mostly outdoors.

So he carried a backpack. Inside it, there's water and a long sleeve shirt. 

"I put the long sleeve shirt on to protect my skin," he said. 

Dr. Anna Chodos is an associate professor of medicine at UCSF's Division of Geriatrics. She said when people are working outdoors, it's important to keep cold drinks and have shade over the face. 

"Definitely wearing any clothing that helps you get more breathability," Chodos said. 

"Y la gorra, esta no puede faltar," Héctor says. He can't leave without his hat. It's essential for the job. 

At Monument Impact, they also communicate with the employers. 

"When it gets hot, we tell them to give them more frequent breaks, especially if they're doing yard work," said Cristina Guerrero, a coordinator at Monument Impact. 

When asking Héctor how difficult it can get working outdoors in hot temperatures, he said the hard part is the heat. 

"But we withstand it because we need to work," Héctor said. "We need to earn a living for our families. That's when we forget about the heat."

"Hay que trabajar duro," he says. "We got to work hard."