Page 11 - Work Force July-August 2023

haze’
‘It looked
like we we were driving into
a fire’
MEDFORD — CSEA State Department of Transportation (Babylon) Local Treasurer Dennis Kearney and local member Steven Santana were having a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a typical day at work when smoke from Canadian fires was traveling along the East Coast Kearney and Santana were largely unaffected by the the the situation until the the the smoke finally hit Long Island and and and slowly began to envelop the the the area “We were outside working on cable rails and and and we we got a a a a a a a a a a a call to to return to to the the yard because of the the poor air quality ” said Kearney Kearney Kearney Kearney and and Santana were stationed on on on the the eastern end of Long Island where the the the the smoke did not reach until later in the the the the the the day As the the the the the the workers drove back to to the the the the the the the yard they they they could see that they they they were were driving into
the the the the the the smoke Suddenly they they they were were engulfed in in in in in the the pollutant-filled air “It looked
like we we we were driving into
a a a a a a a a fire ” said Santana “By the the the time we we we got back to to to the the the yard the the the sun was totally covered with smoke ” ” “You could see particles in in in the air ” ” said Kearney “At certain points we only had about 150 yards of visibility ” They described
the scene scene as “looking like like a a a a a scene scene from a a a a movie like like “Independence Day ””
Employer protects workers Management quickly took action to to protect protect the workers and and KN95 masks were already available at at Kearney and and Santana’s worksite when they returned which workers immediately put on on on on Workers also turned turned on on on on the the the air air conditioner to help filter the the the the the air air and and closed all of the the the the the doors and and windows in in the the the the garage as advised by the the the the NYS Department Department of of Environmental Conservation and the state Department Department of of Health “I have a a a a a a a a a preexisting heart condition so I I was concerned about protecting myself ” said Kearney “But I I also knew that I I had a a a a a a a a job to do ” ” From left to right CSEA State Department of Transportation (Babylon) Local Treasurer Dennis Kearney and local member Steven Santana prepare a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a DOT truck for the next day July-August 2023
The Work Force
11 Santana opted to also wear
safety goggles because he he has eye sensitivity Kearney Santana and their their colleagues spent the the the the rest of their their shift indoors preparing preparing for the the the the following day including preparing preparing equipment and refueling trucks For the the next few days whenever workers were required to to be outdoors they took extra precautions including doing as as as many tasks as as as possible from inside their vehicles – with windows up and air conditioning on on on “We never stopped operating we just did our work on a a a a a a a smaller scale ” said Kearney Like most other people affected by the the pollutants during their breaks the the DOT workers also checked air air quality tracker apps and websites for for updated information on on the the air air quality quality in their area The dayslong air quality quality event has made Santana and Kearney more appreciative of being union members “I’ve worked at at at private companies that would’ve had us working outside expecting production level to be high despite the the weather event ” ” said Santana “I’m glad that we we have a a a a a a a a a a a a job where people care about our safety ” ” — Wendi Bowie