Working outside during the cold

WAUKESHA, Wis. (CBS 58) – Most of us can go inside, but for some there’s no escaping the cold.

CBS 58 followed a DPW crew from Waukesha to see how they’re staying warm during these single digit temperatures.

While the temperatures may have dropped, work for Waukesha County Department of Public Works hasn’t.

“Make sure to have your winter clothes with, your warmer clothes, and just do what you can,” says DPW crew leader, Mike O’Neill.

The crew calls Friday’s temperatures warm with fewer winds but temperatures still in the single digits.

“Sometimes you have to go in and out of the truck a lot to stay warm,” says O’Neill. “However long you can take it.”

But enduring the cold and keeping our roads safe also involves some work indoors.

“In here, it can be really warm and then there are certain days when it can be really cold with the doors opening and closing,” says shop foreman, Dan. “I do get outside, believe it or not, but for the most part of my job I’m in here.”

It’s an area where trucks are cleaned and prepared and where brine is made and stored.

While workers brave the cold to help keep our roads safe, they also have a message for drivers.

“Typically, the road in front of a plow is worse than behind it, so please don’t try to pass,” says Dan. “Just let us do our job.”

“When you see those yellow flashing lights, move over as far as you can from the work zone,” says O’Neill.

The crew advises dressing in layers.

They ask drivers as they’re out on the road to remember to be alert and aware of others.