So it’s been a WARM past few days, with warmer days forecasted for the rest of the week. I don’t seem to have the heat tolerance I used to, and am currently dealing with a headache due to working out all day in the heat.
Aside from the whole, you know, not working in the heat thing, how do you prevent heat exhaustion/stroke? Once you are there, do you have any tips or tricks for quick relief?
Replies
I quit and took a job in a nice, air-conditioned office with a swivel chair.
Forrest - talkin' some trash to the secretary
Good idea! I'll threaten them with an office job if they don't drink enough.That's worst than potted meat.KK
I bet you gotta boss though;]
Yeah, but he's an angry little Irish man with his hair brushed to a peak in front.
Forrest
I notice all little Irishmen are angry. Come to think of it a lot of little angry Irishmen have hit Bobby and made him cry out in pain and anguish. hitting them back only makes them more angry, best to take the foist shot and cry for mommy. Whatever you do dont rub his head and say your a cute little Irishman they have no sense of humor about such things.
SBerruezo,
Down the bayou we learn to preload on water. Once you get behind it is really hard to drink enough and keep working.
A big hat and light colored clothing help.
I watch all the crew members and sometimes have to tell them to go sit in the shade and drink. If they turn white they get a hat full of ice on their neck area. Threatened to hose them down if they didn't drink.
The dreaded potted meat comes out as a last resort.
Ain't lost one yet.
KK
1 quart of water an hour
at least that's what they had us do at boot camp.
That sounds about right
I went through two gallons a day when I worked in Fla.
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
lots of water
potasium and calcium tabllets
Welcome to the
Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime.
where ...
Excellence is its own reward!
PLENTY of liquids, do rag, folded and tied around my head (forhead) and consistentily soaked in cool water.
One thing we learn early in doing marathons, even in cool weather - take water early and frequently. Don't wait until there is thirst - that's a sign that your body is already low on fluid. An exercising and sweating body can lose water through sweat and respiration faster than the digestive tract can absorb it, so it's ultimately a losing proposition if the heat and exercise get to a certain point.
When I was doing copper roofs, I had a hunk ( corner actually) of an old flannel bed sheet , the fitted one. Wear a hat, wrap ice in a do rag put in hat..drape the corner of the wetted sheet on yer head with the tail hanging down the back of your neck, add ice filled hat on top.
As the ice melts, it keeps the flannel wicking away heat from the most important area, the brain stem.
Looks goofy and bulls-eye-ish to people who hate towel heads, but it works really, really well.
Once you've had heat stroke your tolerance is decreased in the future, kinda the same as frostbite..you become more susceptible. I've had both, and don't take chances like I used to any more.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations
You gonna play that thing?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32Ln-SpJsy0
once, working alone, i finished a customers roof on a saturday customer asked me as i was leaving" are you sure you are feeling ok???"---they must have noticed something about me i wasn't aware of.somehow----- i must have driven home, got halfway from the garage to the house and collapsed in the yard--which is where my wife found me sometime later- i don't know how long i was there--or remember driving home.now-- i typically will arrange to NOT work more than 6 hours--when it is really hot i will try to start at 7 and be headsing home at 1:00 last summer my son and i did a big commercial roof where we started at 5:30 and were headed home before noon.
in actuality i try to spend a lot of july and august on vacation or working on my own projects at home.
stephen
Dale and I would watch each other for signs of trouble, and I recall that one 70 sq standing seam job two summers ago, where by 200PM we were getting giddy and stupid. We'd usually get off roof and sit in the shade for a bit or if it was REALLY bad, go for ride to the closest quickie mart for more Gatorpizz and enjoy a little AC. Then get back at it if we still had any thing left in us.
I forgot to mention that in the homebrought gatorpizz I'd add a package of Emergen-C, a powdered vitamin additive, it would really help keep us flogging along , so much in fact, we began calling it "Magic Juice".
Been off roof for a year, and don't really miss these kind of sweltering days, but here in my shop and the jobs I have going, at least I am close to the ground if I fold up and drop..LOL.Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations
You gonna play that thing?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32Ln-SpJsy0
somehow----- i must have driven home, got halfway from the garage to the house and collapsed in the yard--which is where my wife found me sometime later- i don't know how long i was there--or remember driving home.
Dude, you got lucky as Hell! That could have been fatal!
jt8
"A little 'enthusiasm' and all problems seems small!"
I told my wife no more roofs unless its a small one or a patch till the end of August.
OK, I don't feel near as goofy with my sock headbands any more. ;)
Doesn't the ice pack make the top of your head numb after a while?
We're going to start calling you Abdul if you keep wearing a sheet on your head (either that or "Bobbie Joe the grand cyclops").jt8
"A little 'enthusiasm' and all problems seems small!"
Sure, thats why I'm a numbskull.
Actually, it would get a bit TOO cold at times, but dumping out the ice and just keeping everything wet was a big help. The worst part was getting vertigo and when ya get back on flat earth, trying to keep your balance.Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations
You gonna play that thing?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32Ln-SpJsy0
my wife has a gel thing that she wears around her neck instead of on her head. She puts it in the refridgerator at night and wears it during the day
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
I've seen em and was tempted, but I'd leave it at home in the AM. I am a lousy rememberer in the morning.Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations
You gonna play that thing?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32Ln-SpJsy0
thats the gell thing my wife has and gave me.
only thing is its pink but what the heck i look kinda good in pink
It's her way of branding youThe other ladies look at you in pink and think, "oh he's ghey"
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
I did have the village people playing loud on my radio on the roof the other day.
I have to stop acting out the letters on YMCA though
You heading to Provincetown again this Summer ???
I just bet you put on a few more slates when.. IN THE NAVY comes on;]
The bass fishermen wear that gel thing here in tournaments . It soaks up water and releases it slow around the neck. Theres no shade in the boat so its very hot in the summer . They bring a little ice chest half full of water bout the size of the medical ice chest. Add some ice to it through out the day but thats were their neck jells are kept. I tried them but dont like them actually. They get your shirt wet big time.
Tim
"Once you've had heat stroke your tolerance is decreased in the future, kinda the same as frostbite..you become more susceptible." I didn't know that. That is very unfortunate news, given that I've had it on more than one occasion, but at least I sort of have an excuse now.I've been doing the big hat, but may go for the icy do-rag too.I'm tired of days like yesterday. It doesn't feel good at all.I knocked off after only 7 hours today.
I ware a pith helmut and i have a hankerchief thats a ice pack inside.
I bought my pith helmut from the mailman but those straw cowboy hats would work fine.
I cant ware the cowboy type as i looked in the fine print and it said jersey boys are not allowed to ware them, After the John travolta fiasco where he played a fake cowboy he ruined it for the rest of us.
"I wear a pith helmet..."At age 6 I wore a pith helmet to bed every night. That may theem thtrange, but my incontinent brother thlept in the upper bunk and wearing a pith helmet wath the only way I could thtay dry. :)BruceT
I always did the hat with towel thing like the arabs. It works. Only, I didn't use a towel, I used to use a tee shirt. On the hot days, I'd bring several tee shirts: one for my head, one on my body and an extra one or two to change. Never work with exposed skin...always keep the shirt on. Drink....I used to drink at least two gallons of water on the hot/humid days and another half gallon of coffee. Yes there is lots of water in coffee and it does hydrate you. Keep the jug of water next to you and hit it often. Slow down a bit and also take unscheduled extra 10 and 15 minute breaks. edit: Dont' forget to eat normal. I used to eat a normal lunch and everyone would ask me how I could do it. I WAS HUNGRY! I kept hydrated and life was normal for me. Eating is a big part of being normal. Start the day off with food, and eat a little something every two hours...even if you don't feel like eating. Bob's next test date: 12/10/07
Edited 7/10/2008 6:16 am by Jim_Allen
"Never work with exposed skin...always keep the shirt on."Yes!
I used to hit the garage sales and buy up the white dress shirts. roll sleeves up to my elbow and barely buttoned front. The breeze could blow in and the white colour refleccted solar heat, while the thin fabric wicked sweat right off to dry. a little wear at the collar or a missing button meant they sold for a dime to fifty cents each
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
I actually believe that a layering system makes for a cooler body. I saw a road worker the other day here in Austin wearing a shirt, with a long sleeved jacket and his colored vest. Remember, he's out in the sun all day in 95 degree heat...maybe more. I used to work a lot in the heat with a two layer shirt. The guys would ask me how I did it. I think the first layer was a long sleeved thermal undershirt. I don't remember. I know I wore layers many more times when the guys were bareskinned. Bob's next test date: 12/10/07
Other than that it depends whether you are working for your self or someone else .
Piffin made the comment one time he didnt work on roofs in the winter where he lives. I dont know where youre at but Im not on the food chain to be stupid . Its very hot here with high humidity. Piffin working on the island outside of Boston would be a snap in July and August . Not here but Ill do a roof easily in winter here. What Im saying is before you go listening to someone on here , you better know where they live if you take advice.
Its between 90 to 110 all summer long . July and August is 100 plus here. The humidity is the next factor at what percent . We have an average humidity of 65 percent . Then wind factors. You can die in a basement with out framing over head . You would be fine in the shade on a wall with a 5 mph breeze. Comfortable actually.
I work for my self and have the luxury of picking my jobs at what day and time . Start early , go take a nap with lunch when it gets hot and then work the evening hours till dark. Or either one . Work in the shade in the hot part of the day while working on the South exposure morning or evening with the sun at 45 degree exposure or less. Theres a big difference at 10 and 12 oclock with the same temp exposed to the sun. It can be 100 degrees at 6 oclock but the sun wont be a hard factor.
Tim
work were it's typically 30 degrees cooler like higher elevations...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming
WOW!!! What a Ride!
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
Monitor your ####. As long as it slightly colored you are drinking enough water. If the color is bright yellow then tank up with more fluids. Keep a 5 gallon bucket around to dunk your arms and head into with cool water to cool yourself off. And be careful and slow down your pace as you work.
I can remember lots of days in Texas when I didn't pee the whole workday through. Colour AM and PM fine.but with dry wind taking the moisture away in the heat, there is none left to go to the bladder no matter how much you drink.
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
I have BTDT.. I also would get constipated because of dehydration.
I havent done it , but those "misting machines" that spray a fine mist of water through a fan look like they would be helpfull.
Anyone tried using one on an outside job ? ( like framing)
"...those "misting machines" that spray a fine mist of water through a fan look like they would be helpfull."
Only if the humidity is low. If the humidity is really high, they're just annoying.
Did you hear about the blonde who was sniffing nutrasweet?
She thought it was diet coke...
Monitor your ####. As long as it slightly colored you are drinking enough water.
That is assuming you're even pissing. For a while last August while working on my project house, I was probably drinking 2+ gallons of fluids on sunny Saturdays but maybe pissed once all day and that was in the evening. And I wasn't even working on the roof.
jt8
"A little 'enthusiasm' and all problems seems small!"
Go to Whole foods or a healthfood store and buy electrolyte tablets to add to whatever else your doing to keep cool and hydrated. Also Emergen-C packets. Both will help keep your chemistry in check and make life a little easier.
Ott
A typical day here is 95 degrees and 100 % humidity. We load up the cooler every morning with bottled water and ice. I wear long pants, long sleeved shirts, boonie hats with a flap over my neck. I stay soaked all day from sweat but the wet clothes keep me much cooler than shorts and T shirts ever did. I drink 12 to 15 bottles of ice water a day and soak my hat in the cooler every hour or so. We keep a squirrel cage fan running all the time and anyone who feels the need can go stand in front of it any time they want. When I get home I undress in the garage, put on my swimming trunks, grab a cool beer and go jump in the pool!
about 7 years ago it hit 100 here, 3 roofers went to the hospital, one was from my crew
he was an older guy that was just supposed to clean up, When i went for something he went up on the roof and fainted. 2 quit that day and never came back. only the old guys stayed on that job. Here on the OR coast we start dropping when it gets to 75
When I was a kid, one of my friends Dad was a foreman on a road asphalt crew. He would call it a day and send his guys home when the thermometer hit 88°F
I don't have a clue why he picked that cutoff though, but I felt some admiration for him for thinking of his guys.my bad heat day was one where my pard and I had a tiny little balconey to do with hot stuff. We figured we'd be done by noon,and it was a Saturday, so we didn't stop for lunch or break.
One thing led to another and it was 2PM before we were saddled up and ready to go, a little exhausted feeling from the heat and not rest stop.So we were standing there talking about where to meet monday when I suddenly felt very cool and asked him if he liked the sounds of all those pretty bird songs in the air.He looked at me real funny and said they ain't no birds singing around here. What chew been smokin'?I got home all light headed, drank a quart of Gatorade and took a shower, then a quart of Seven-Up, then my muscles started to twitching...I called the hospital and talked to a PA there. He told me keep on drinking and if it gets worse, do not drive but call 911 ( or whatever number it was way back then)
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
the trouble with hot is sometimes you just have to work through. if we stopped the pipes got cold and would not pump. or we would not start moping till noon if we had to wait on the kettle and prep. ever go home take a long shower and yet you still smell of tar???
Here on the OR coast we start dropping when it gets to 75
That hasn't even been the Low here for more than a month <g>
It stops being in the mid 70s for a high about April. And stays that way until about Hallowe'en, give or take a week.
Hot enough yesterday that rain was falling on radar, but evaporating befre striking the ground--always fun.Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)
It gets in the 50s at night and 70s this week in the day. a few days ago i had to ware my hooded sweatshirt all day. I live 4 blocks from the ocean, what happens is when it gets hot in Portland fog rolls in sometimes just one mile in. we also get strong winds in the summer. If you go inland just a few miles its hot..
We never get a chance to get used to the heat. it may only be hot for a few weeks a year.
I wont go back east in the summer as i cant take it although i framed in the 90s and 100s there.
I have no idea how you live where you live.
I have no idea how you live where you live.
Practice, practice, practice (that, and force of habit).
Lived in Chicago, and in Olean, NY--do not miss snow at all.
Know what you mean about the OR coast, my uncle's house is right at the line where fog-n-rain becomes fog-n-snow just east of Coos Bay.Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)
snow is the best season of the year...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
snow is the best season of the year
That's the only season you have up there <g> . . . Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)
yup....
excellent skiing nine months of the year and really good for the rest...
and it's great...
last three nights the top got a light dusting...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
Napa, huh? I hear that it's almost as hot there as it is here (San Jose). #2 daughter lives in Livermore and they're running 5*-8* hotter than us. It's supposed to cool down this weekend and I'm ready. I have some precat lacquer to spray and need cooler weather to get it done.
If you gotta be outside, wear a wide brimmed hat. Believe it or not, cowboys don't wear those hats because they look cool. They really work to keep the heat off of your head, neck and shoulders. My old, beat up, sweat-stained, Resistol straw hat is too ugly for words, but I won't step into the sun without it.
Most importantly, learn the signs of true heat exhaustion and get into the shade if you experience them. A few years ago, we were working a bunch of cattle near Fairfield and I was suddenly seeing everything thru a "tunnel". Ten minutes in the stock tank got me cooled down, but I was done working in the sun for that day. - lol
While everyone has said fluids, fluids, fluids. A good way to check is weight yourself in the Am record the wt. weigh again when done working in the same state of dress and before the evening meal and record if lighter you need to return to the AM weight by the next morning. For every lb lost during the day you need to drink 1.5 lbs of fluid to recover. Heat illness very frequently is a cumulative thing successive days of less than adequate re hydration. Also avoid alcohol as a re hydrating fluid.
Old roofers grow scales and turn into lizards.
Check out Gemplers
http://www.gemplers.com/
they have an assortment of hats, neck wraps, whole vests, etc. that help you stay cool.
Aside from the whole, you know, not working in the heat thing, how do you prevent heat exhaustion/stroke? Once you are there, do you have any tips or tricks for quick relief?
There are major arteries near the surface of the skin in the wrists, ankles and at the back of the neck. All of them can be used to reduce the body's core temperature relatively quickly. Place the feet/ankles and hands/forearms in cold water, a couple of five gallon pails work well. Put a cold wet rag on the back of the neck.
Of course total immersion is quicker and more complete.
Edited 7/12/2008 8:16 pm by Hudson Valley Carpenter
Just so some people know the signs and symptoms of heat illness's. They can kill. If you quit sweating look out!
Heat exhaustion symptoms
Warning signs of heat exhaustion include:
The skin may be cool and moist. The victim's pulse rate will be fast and weak, and breathing will be fast and shallow. If heat exhaustion is untreated, it may progress to heat stroke, which is a medical emergency. Seek medical attention and call 911 immediately if:
Otherwise, help the victim to cool off, and seek medical attention if symptoms worsen or last longer than 1 hour.
Heat exhaustion treatment
Cooling measures that may be effective include:
Here is the bad boy!
What is heat stroke?
Heat stroke is a form of hyperthermia, an abnormally elevated body temperature with accompanying physical and neurological symptoms. Unlike heat cramps and heat exhaustion, two forms of hyperthermia that are less severe, heat stroke is a true medical emergency that can be fatal if not properly and promptly treated.
The body normally generates heat as a result of metabolism, and is usually able to dissipate the heat by either radiation of heat through the skin or by evaporation of sweat. However, in extreme heat, high humidity, or vigorous exertion under the sun, the body may not be able to dissipate the heat and the body temperature rises, sometimes up to 106°F (41.1°C) or higher. Another cause of heat stroke is dehydration. A dehydrated person may not be able to sweat fast enough to dissipate heat, which causes the body temperature to rise.
Those most susceptible to heart strokes include:
What are heat stroke symptoms?
Symptoms of heat stroke can sometimes mimic those of heart attack or other conditions. Sometimes a person experiences symptoms of heat exhaustion before progressing to heat strokes.
Symptoms of heat exhaustion include:
However, some individuals can develop symptoms of heat stroke suddenly and rapidly without warning.
Different people may have different symptoms and signs of heat stroke. But common symptoms and signs of heat stroke include:
“Some people wonder all their lives if they've made a difference. The Marines don't have that problem.”
Reagan....
Failure is the condiment that gives success its flavor.
-Truman Capote
The heat cost me a dislocated hip, bruised rib and a severe concussion.
Passed out from the heat while racing motocross. Running 60+ MPH. I remember going over a jump but never landing. Others said I was 10 to 12' high and just went limp and crashed. I was out for about 15 minutes.
What really upset me the most was the damage to my bike.
Now I am alot more careful when it's hot out.
Russell
"Welcome to my world"
That heat is to be very respected. One minute you feel like you are "alright" then the next you are out. As you well know. Or dead. You were lucky.
I too don't always recognize the symptoms til too late. I was installing a sprinkler system throughout the day and came home, felt "ok" got out the mower and started cutting grass. I am very careful about fluids, water mainly. Started feeling funny after I was through. I went inside and sat down, checked my pulse. I was about 140 BPM for two hours while I was trying to cool down. Even showered and it didn't drop. I was too close to something happening. I didn't dare move from that chair until my heart rate dropped.
The weather sux here, usually in the nineties and the same with the humidity, 90-100%. Bad for heat illness's.
Big thing is to hydrate whether you are thirsty or not as others have noted.
“Some people wonder all their lives if they've made a difference. The Marines don't have that problem.” Reagan....
Failure is the condiment that gives success its flavor. -Truman Capote
The guys here in Florida who work in the sun all day say Gatorade alternating with water and plenty of each. The Gatorade was designed at UF to replace lost electrolytes in football players practicing on a hot day. Go Gators!
On my little project here we went through cases of both.
how do you prevent heat exhaustion/stroke?
Like everything else, it's conditioning, conditioning, conditioning. You just have to build those tolerneces up slowly and incrementally.
You also have to be ahead of the curve. That's the toughest part. By the time you start feeling it, you are way behind the curve.
Once you are there, do you have any tips or tricks for quick relief?
That's the bad part, "fast" is not part of the response to dehydration, physiological or mental. Gradual and slow and steady is the rule.
Now, all fluids are better than no fluids. But, limiting your caffiene intake and sweetened beverage intake are good ideas. Mostly because they influence saity before hydration is achieved.
And, I have a bias. One, from living where a/c runs April to October. Another from being military, hydrating to less than around 4 litres a day seems strange to me, I'll backslide to only 2-3 lpd, but not that often, even hiding inside in the a/c. That's because you don;t get to stay in the a/c--you have to go get the mail, collect the paper, get gas for the ride when you are out paying the bills, and the like.