It is really difficult to work on a roof. In hot weather it becomes more difficult. The hot weather increases the body temperature as well. That’s why you have to keep your body cool in order to work for a long time.
For this, you have to keep an eye on the weather forecast, wear clothes made of breathable fabrics, and take a few drinks break while roofing. Knowing the symptoms of heat stroke and heat exhaustion will be also helpful to get rid of these.
I guess you have never worked on a roof on a hot summer day and worrying about how to stay cool while roofing.
No need to worry, in this article, we have discussed some effective methods of staying cool while roofing.
How To Stay Cool While Roofing:
Here are the necessary steps that you should follow to keep yourself cool while working on a roof in warm weather. Follow the steps carefully.
Check the weather forecast:
Before starting roofing, you must look at the weather forecast. For this, you can use OSHA-NIOSH Heat Safety Tool APP. It provides all the necessary weather information that an American roofer wants.
It is more important to focus on the heat index rather than just checking the temperature. Hence, it is a temperature value that is calculated by combining the relative humidity and the air temperature.
Whenever you are working in hot weather, you must keep an eye on the moisture in the air as well as the temperature. High humidity prevents the evaporation of the sweats from your skin. Thus, it hampers the natural cooling process of your body.
On the other hand, low relative humidity with high heat can increase the production of the sweat dramatically. For this, you may experience dehydration.
Wear appropriate clothes and safety Equipment’s:
You should wear suitable work pants and a shirt when working in warm weather. We prefer to choose cotton shirts as these let your skin breathe. Try to wear clothes and shoes of light color in order to reflect the sun rays as much as possible.
You must wear the safety equipment when roofing, regardless of the weather. Though wearing protective equipment increases the load and layers of clothing, there is no option for you to avoid it.
Keep yourself hydrated:
Keeping yourself hydrated is the most important thing to do for you while roofing in a warm condition. For this, you should drink a sufficient amount of water after every 20-30 minutes. Drinking water after a short period of time will help you work for a long time.
The frequency of drinking water mostly depends on the weather. On a hot humid day, you must drink more water than on other days. Humidity prevents the natural process of cooling your body, by slowing down the evaporation of the perspire from your skin.
A lot of people think that, for roofers, it is better to drink sports drinks than water. But they are totally wrong. You can get necessary electrolytes from your regular meals.
You must avoid drinking coffee, alcohol on roofing days. These drinks will make your body dehydrate.
Take necessary rest periods:
Like drinking sufficient water, taking rest is also important for a roofer. You must take short breaks when working on the roof in a warm condition.
You may think that by working restlessly, you will be able to finish roofing faster. But, it is a complete misconception. If you work on the roof without taking any break, you will end up experiencing complexities like heat stroke.
Taking sufficient rest will allow you to regain working energy. This will help you to work with more enthusiasm.
Try to take rest in the shade. For this, you can take a rest under the trees or under a tent. Run some cold water over the pulse points (neck, wrist, elbows) of your body. You can use a cold towel, ice packs and cold vest to cool your body.
Learn about the symptoms of heat stroke and exhaustion:
Working under the scorching sun for a long time can create complexities like heat stroke or heat exhaustion. Knowing the symptoms of these complications is mandatory for any roofer.
Symptoms of heat exhaustion:
The main symptom of heat exhaustion is a slight increase in body temperature. As a lot of workers can adjust with the little rise in the body temperature, it is very difficult to detect if they are suffering from heat exhaustion.
To ensure you can also look for some other symptoms like high heart rate, fatigue, headache, muscle cramp, heavy seating, nausea.
Symptoms of heat stroke:
Heat stroke is caused by body overheating. Whenever you are roofing in high temperatures for a long time, it increases your body temperature gradually.
Generally heat stroke occurs when your body temperature is 104F or above. You should look for a few symptoms such as reddening skin, slurred speech, seizure, dizziness, loss consciousness.
If you feel any of the symptoms mentioned above while roofing, you must stop your task and get off the roof immediately. Go to a shady area to take a rest. Drink sufficient water. You must quit the task for the day if you still feel dizzy after resting for a few minutes.
Verdict:
I guess we managed to alleviate your worries. And now you have got to know how to stay cool while roofing.
I hope these ideas will help you to keep yourself cool while roofing. You can also help your co-workers to stay cool.
