Wearable Technology Helps Texas Construction Workers Beat The Heat

Record-breaking heat caused by climate change has intensified potential health hazards for people with outdoor jobs. However, a Texas construction company reports no serious heat illness this year, thanks to wearable technology. CBS News shows how supervisors closely monitor their employees.

In Ross Daly’s homeland of Scotland, summer means 60-degree temperatures.

“Back home, if it got to this temperature, we'd be shutting the job sites down because it's too hot,” Daly said.

As a construction safety officer, Daly uses technology to protect his workers from the heat. They wear smartwatches that monitor their body temperatures.

“So you have people out there who are saying, I see my body's too hot. I'm going to take a little break here,” Schechter asked.

“Potentially,” Daly responded.

When a worker’s body temperature rises above 100 degrees, a supervisor is alerted to help them avoid serious heat illness.

“You really don't know if you're coming down with heat illness until the symptoms come on. At that point, it's kind of a little bit late,” Daly explained.

Tyler Hughes, a construction foreman, learned intervention is critical, as climate change makes working outdoors even hotter.

“When it went off, it was a little scary to me because I didn't think anything was happening to me,” Hughes said.

Hughes discovered he was experiencing heat exhaustion, and doctors found an underlying heart condition. Since then, he’s lost 50 pounds and hasn't had any problems with the heat.

“Did you ever think that you'd be wearing this watch that would tell you what your core body temperature was and change your life?” Schechter asked.

“No, but after wearing it and learning about it, I'm glad I made the choice to wear it,” Hughes said.

The company reports that more than 70% of its workers have chosen to wear the smartwatch. It costs about $125 each, which the company pays for, along with a monthly fee for the software.