HOLYOKE, Mass. (WGGB/WSHM) - A heat wave is hitting hard and fast, and affecting the safety of outdoor crews.

Local landscapers, including Gary Courchesne, owner of G&H Landscaping in Holyoke, have had little time to acclimate to the high temperatures.

Courchesne has over 50 employees working outside in this heat and keeping them safe starts before they even pick up a mower.

Up until last week, his crews were working in 50 and 60 degree weather. Now, overnight, it’s 90 and climbing.

So Courchesne is issuing what he calls heat kits to every worker equipped with bucket hats, sunscreen, and a water cooler.

He also encourages his crews to take frequent breaks, work under canopies when possible, and use common sense: if you don’t feel good, get out of the heat.

It’s not just Courchesne’s workers feeling the pressure, his office is already seeing a spike in calls for sprinkler repairs as homeowners realize their lawns are starting to burn.

He says even with last week’s heavy rain, the ground is drying out fast. Look for a purplish haze on the grass of your lawn or footprints that don’t bounce back to determine if your lawn needs water.

Courchesne says his crews will adapt, they always do, but this week, he says the advice is the same whether you work outside for a living or just step out to check the mail: slow down, drink water, and don’t wait until you feel sick to get out of the heat.

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