Staying cool while doing a roofing job can be challenging, especially in sunny Florida. Roofing professionals often have to work the hottest days and without shade, since demand for roofers is so high in the summer. There are several challenges that this poses- how do you stay cool in the hot summer months while roofing? If you own a roofing business, you may be wondering how you keep your employees cool and safe while they work in the sun. Read on to learn more about how to keep cool while working a roofing job. If you’re looking for “roofers near me” in Riverview, call top residential roofing contractors Certified Roofers & General Contractors, Inc. at our Valrico office today!
Keeping Cool While Working Outdoors
Here are some top tips based on the latest research on how to keep cool while working on a roof:
- Know Your Weather Conditions- The first step to staying cool while roofing is to know your weather conditions. Before you start the day, you need to look up the weather so that you are able to plan appropriately. OSHA has a heat safety tool app that provides all of the weather information American roofers need. Canadians are able to use the Weather Network app, which provides temperature and Humidex rating. You can expect a more challenging day if the temperature outside meets or exceeds body temperature due to the fact that it makes it harder for your body to cool itself. You should also pay attention to humidity, since in high humidity your sweat evaporates slowly, which prevents your body from cooling as effectively. A healthy, hydrated worker under 40, who is roofing in normal humidity (30 percent) in the shade should stop and reschedule work if temperatures hit 106 degrees F.
- Know your work surfaces- As top “roofers near me” in Riverview, our second safety tip is to know your materials and work surfaces. Metal flashing can become quite hot during the summer, and it’s best to keep these materials out of the direct sun until you are ready to put them in. You should also wear heavy gloves while you are working with any roofing materials in high temperatures. Planning for the layout of your roof itself is one of the best ways to stay cool while roofing in the summer. You should try to begin on the west of the roof at the beginning of the day, design permitting, and work on the east in the afternoon, so that you can try to stay out of the direct sun.
Top Residential Roofing
- Know your staff- You need to let any new staff members brought on in the summer get acclimated to working in extreme heat conditions. It is recommended that a non-acclimatized roofing professional should work for no more than 20 percent of a usual workday on their first day. You can increase this time by 20 percent, maximum, every day until new workers are able to keep up with acclimatized workers. It’s important to note that certain health conditions can make working in the heat more dangerous, such as obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and even infections such as the common cold.
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Are you looking for “roofers near me” in Riverview? Call Certified Roofers & General Contractors, Inc. for top residential roofing contractors at our Valrico office today!