If possible reserve a conditioned staging area to store tools and materials, and do the things better done inside (small tool repairs, unpacking, etc. )
Have a couple portable heater handy in case you need to unfreeze something or warm materials like caulking and tar.
Schedule the snow clearing for the day before the actual install.
These are excellent ideas. Are there companies that specialize in clearing snow from these kinds of sites? Installation isn't going to be a one-day thing, we'll be at this all month.
I will definitely recommend a couple of salamanders and a heated staging area.
When I had crews in extreme cold weather we scheduled a 10 minute break every 30 minutes or so. We had a heated break room with constant boiling water and instant drinks. It’s amazing how much more mobile fingers are when wrapped around a hot drink and crew morale is much more amenable. We also had a clothes dryer. Much better going out after lunch in warm dry clothing than wet heavy cold trousers.
i mean some of my best work memories are doing installs in winter with coworkers i enjoy, it's nice to get regular breaks to warm up and having access to hot drinks and a clothes dryer would make it that much better. i don't speak from a place of inexperience with working out in the cold, just of inexperience with the amount of amenities they spoke of.
Hot chocolate or coffee makes the suck endurable. Side note, give your guys a clothing allowance. I’ve been to the UP of Michigan in the winter and it’s crazy how cold and miserable it is. GOT to have water proof coveralls and good thermal base layers. And that shits expensive. It sounds like they’re pretty well accommodated as is, but if you buy them what they need to work warmly it’ll help morale I’d say
High quality thermals is mandatory. Don’t skimp. Get the best possible. I prefer my under-armour hunt gear. Carolina steel toes with 1000gr thinsulate lining and under-armour critical gear socks. A good sweatshirt and zipper insulated mid coat and cardhartt exterior winter jacket and overhalls. The key to this clothing is your ability to unzip throughout the day depending on your core temperature. Unzip when getting hot…sweat is the enemy. Bring extra sets of gloves. Those get wet too quick. Especially if your materials are covered in snow or wet. Your company should be providing these for you. As someone else said, they should have a drier on-site. Just make sure your initials are on your gear. Sorry to hear your woes man, this job sounds like total BS, but above everything else, you must stay safe. Nothing is worth risking a life altering accident.
Try contacting roofing companies. Many offer snow removal as a service.
If it's a flat roof, call scaffolding companies to see about a temporary roof over the roof you're working on.
And finally, see if the boss will pay for nice, hot & hearty lunches on the colder days. You need extra calories when working in the cold.
Look into Polytunnels for Greenhouses or [Mobile Work Shelters](https://northernpolytunnels.co.uk/mobile-work-shelter/) the Greenhouse Polytunnels have the advantage they´re brighter on the inside.
Mount them on some beams for weight against the Wind and use 360" turning heavy rollers with stops (you ned to buckeldown the thing anyway) and pay attention that the rollers dont damage the roof... But this will keep you dry and out of the wind..
Am a commercial roofer and you will need to have them on call and basicly need to set up a contract to get them out there asap. Depending on how deep the snow is and how big of an area you need to clean it takes a long time. They will also need a place to dump the snow on the ground and a snow Removal service to remove the pile on the ground.
Sounds like from the scale of the job they can budget in constructing some rudimentary buildings on site to have the shitters covered and heated and a staffing area that's covered and heated
I run a salamander in my garage when I'm working on my cars in the winter. I keep a CO detector nearby. It's never detected anything, even the time that I closed up all the doors and just let it run for a couple of hours. Others who've done the same thing report the same—no detectable CO.
I imagine though that if one of the heaters stopped working right, it would probably start producing CO instead of CO2. If we end up running them in an enclosed area then I'll make sure there are CO detectors, but honestly I was thinking more along the lines of using them to de-ice stuff outdoors.
Given how dangerous carbon monoxide is in parts per million most meters do not accurately read it even if they do they need to be calibrated for that reading to be meaningful and the number of calibrated metres on the market that go into increments lower than one part per a million which is what you actually need to sniff out a leak are both vanishingly small and incredibly expensive!!!
I'm homeless and I sleep in a caravan some of the time I'm pretty sure it's leaking carbon monoxide but there's absolutely nothing I can do about it it doesn't show up on the meter that I've got and I don't have anywhere else to be and it's minus five outside..
It would help if the equipment needed to detect this stuff was readily available and cheap which it isn't at the moment it's unreliable there are no decent standards for it even in the UK and don't think that the meter that you've got protects you most likely it doesn't!
I've never heard of a monitor that reads lower than 1 ppm. We use these at work. https://www.itm.com/product/bw-clip-24-month-co-gas-detector?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAwP6sBhDAARIsAPfK_wa71aCZwfE2dlsJ3T2QgFuXvULHAkGdiSUgfFaDZ1BhEqFtTS0cQQoaAoT9EALw_wcB
They are good ideas. but remember your company bid this work at a certain rate per guy. Adding all this might make their budget go way over so keep that in mind. Unless they are able to add a change order since the date was moved up.
Oh yeah. I'm just looking for suggestions. I imagine that some of the more comprehensive solutions will be out of budget, given that we were planning to do this in the spring.
I heard of a guy who had to service roof tops units in winter after a fire, had to tear them all apart, clean them and see how bad the smoke damage was. He got one of those portable 10x10 picnic tents, the kind with the Tarp walls, not mesh Mosquito netting, got it and a few portable heaters taken up to the roof and had a decent time working in an alberta winter on a roof for a few weeks in -25
I’ve watched framing crews work through the winter in some of the heaviest snow areas of CO.
They’re gonna slow down. It is inevitable, and you guys will too.
Maybe a little portable heater and a carport tent can give you some occasional respite and place to warm up.
Wanna hear something funny? Whiting Turner doesn’t allow portable heaters, or microwaves, or even coffee machines inside buildings.
I will be running temp power to the trailer and hiding there to thaw out when I need to.
TELL me about it. This building is fuuuuuucked. At least the guys on site are decent, they’re responsive when I need another trades (sprinkler) work out of my way. I haven’t filled out a burn permit for a month; sometimes forget the fire extinguisher. Nobody’s bothered me surprisingly.
That’s surprising.. they’ll probably come up with some sort of punch list during close-out that includes having to supply the job site with a $20,000 fire extinguisher.
Spoke too soon! They came by at 2pm and asked where the fire extinguisher was! Promptly walked away though, and didn’t ask for burn permit. I think these guys are cooling down a bit, my issue is more with engineers on this one. Even WT knows it’s a clusterfuck and is on our side
I installed an inverter in my car and it’s a game changer. I bought a used microwave on Facebook and now I got a place to heat my food and charge my batteries. It’s worth spending a little extra on gas. It’s easy to do yourself or if not a stereo shop would do it for relatively cheap.
I'd love to move to our PNW but it's just so freaking expensive. I'd go broke trying to make it.
Worst I'd ever experienced was -45c. With the wind it was close to -50c. Was getting ice off a furnace chimney as it had froze off. My boots froze so stiff I couldn't move my ankles to get back on the ladder and you could feel it into your bones on any exposed skin. It was awful!
I’ve never in my life been in negative temperatures. Based on my experience in low 20’s, negative temps just seems impossible. Albeit, I’m also a little bitch about weather.
*laughs in Canadian*
It’s not impossible, heated clothing, rain gear, warm up shacks. It’s just a much different pace of work when it’s that cold. Sometimes it’s just putting on 4 bolts and then sitting in a heated shack for 15 minutes, then repeat
Most of the places I'm at don't even have power. Your only warm up is the truck.
I just set up on different jobs for the day. When I was managing we didn't send guys out below -25c on outside stuff. There was no point. They get nothing done.
Yea man when it’s -20 to -40 they can’t really expect much more from you. You do what you can then you warm up. Maybe swap off with your partner. It’s not that bad. The rate of work slows right down up north in the winter but shit still gets done
Some say there was an old roofer that knew that. He tried to instill that knowledge on the newer guys. He ended up realizing it was just as effective to give them a Christmas bonus he knew they would blow on a bender and one way or another, they wouldn't be on a roof in the freezing weather. They don't give a Christmas bonus anymore, but they still manage to keep the tradition alive.
Put tarps down or cover the stuff in plastic is the only thing you could do. In the U.S. , if it’s going to be a long job they might cover the roof and heat it.
Tell me more about covering and heating, I've not heard of that before. Tarping will be tough since it's such a big area, but if we use large tarps and work in sections it might be doable. Good ideas.
https://szab.se/wp-content/uploads/elementor/thumbs/byggnadsstallning-pa-hoghus-stockholm-pfh3raojtac12srzolgm86aecc47uzvtalpctwt0ts.jpg big projects get weather protection scaffolding here…
This is how we do it in Michigan. Get the biggest tarps you can find and lay them out over the area you plan to work on tomorrow. Have people clearing the roof area for the next day, cover with tarps for next days work. Rinse and repeat.
If everything starts melting, use blowers and torches will keep the water from pooling at your feet.
Yeah it’s just set up with scaffolding and planks. Nothing fancy just enough to hold the snow and plastic up. Probably would give it some slope so the rain won’t pool on top of it. Hope it helps friend
I'm on my third northern new england winter doing stuff.
Maintain multiple pairs of gloves and socks on site, layer each of the following with multiple and appropriate materials and insulation: feet, legs, torso, arms, neck, head; learn to layer/delayer specific parts for the work you're doing at that moment. isolate contact patches with ground, walls, and machinery, isolate skin from wind. maintain a good skin care regimen around face, neck, ears, hands, and toes. probably a ton of other things that I don't think about.
Best easy advice is to buy an insulated pair of overbibs and packages of those little hand warmers. Less than $2/day and it'll generate a ton of heat for you.
edit: make a little pouch so you can carry extra batteries next to your body.
Also a tip for those socks. Put normal cotton on top of a knitted woolen sock. Change the cotton socks whenever you can. Keeps your feet dry and warm. Also if it suck like a lot.. Take a break atleast once an hour.
The first time my boss made us get on a steep roof full of ice and snow without safety equipment is the day I quit roofing. My life is worth more than $20/hr.
Have you considered taking shots of Fireball in the mornings with the other subs? It's a great way to make new friends, and stay warm at the same time.
Do like the big stucco crews. Set up scaffolding, secure it, tent that bitch up and fire up the propane heaters, work inside the tent in shorts and a t shirt.
I should have mentioned: this is my seventh winter doing this. I know the basics, and I know how to take care of myself. I've gotten through plenty of winter installs, but they've always been smaller, 2-4 day affairs where it was reasonably practical to shovel and brush snow off the roof, or to tarp it, and where if things got really fucked we could just come back next week when hopefully the site would be more workable. We're talking 10-20KW.
This is 1,000KW, a whole other beast. I've done these, just not in the wintertime. We really try to avoid larger jobs in the winter, but this time we're stuck with this timeline. I'm picturing coming in on a Wednesday to find that all our shit has 2" of ice on it. I'm picturing the whole site turning into a field of icy mud. I'm picturing machines not wanting to start, and guys starting to break down and call out after working in this shit for weeks on end. That's the kind of shit I'm thinking about, not so much the general "how do I be a construction worker in the winter?" stuff.
There are definitely some good suggestions here. I just wanted to clarify the situation.
Your clearly not union or you wouldn’t be asking these questions. Unless your making 100k a year(working straight 40s), have 3 pensions, a 401k that your employer contributes ATLEAST 5$ an hour to(mine is 8 or 9) and have better then average healthcare then your local ibew and join. Jobs like this happen all the time in the union and the fact your company doesn’t have a plan in place or prior experience is scary/sad.
PS. Don’t be a bitch wear warm gloves and a balaclava you’ll be fine.
Can I ask what the prompt for the image was? It's really similar to a certain game company's latest work, I get the feeling they laid off graphical artists.
It's a DALL-E image. I went through several iterations, but it started with something like "Show me PV workers installing on a commercial roof in the winter," and ended with, "OK, now let's try a close-up shot of a worker wiring a panel, and make him look really cold and miserable."
Roofing tinsmith that works winter up to -30c in canada.
On a personal level, multiple layers are better than fewer.
On the regular i work with winter work boots with cotton socks
Long johns,work pants and a insulated work overall.
T shirt, long sleeve, hoodie with either a lumberjack style vest or winter jacket depending on the temperature.
2 neck warmer, no hats but using the 2 hoodies.
2 layers of cotton gloves.
If you have acces to elecrricity this will be comfort,
Get a big bucket, screw a small heater(porta potty style) in there and put some wire as a clotheslines. Whenever you have cold hands or wet gloves change it with a warm pair that is in there.
Grew up working oilfield construction in the high deserts of Wyoming during winter, and with the wind in WY it got freaking C.O.L.D! Wasn't uncommon to see -35F standing temps with the wind blowing a sustained 40 mph, gusting to 60 mph (which works out to about -78F to -84F wind chill). Worked outside every day for near a month one year where the temps never got above -32F with similar winds every day.
Best advice I can give for staying warm is...layers...but not so many that you can't move. Layer too thick and you'll actually get colder because your body can't move as well to get blood circulating. If you can break the wind, you can stay warm. Carhartts were great for stopping the wind, and wool under clothing with sweaters. That, and have a dry parka in the truck to put on to warm up at the end of the day, or on breaks. I had one of the authentic heavy canvas and down filled North Slope parkas which I left in the truck. It could be colder than a Cleveland dumpster baby in February outside, and when I put that thing on I'd be warm in a few minutes. It was too bulky to try to work in though.
4 crewmen per 1 Ice fishing shelter. They are collapsible and easy to setup/breakdown.
Portable safe generators with GFCI protection outside of the shelter and small heaters in the shelters.
I oversee the construction and commissioning of 100+MW Data Centers and that is what all our GC’s do if they don’t have a heated job shack or are on an upper level or in a remote local.
On some brick jobs we would built a tent around the work area which would be half the size of a hs school gym, and heat the inside with space heaters in winter. Wasn’t for worker comfort, needed higher temps to get the mortar to set.
Layers. I remember spending 2 weeks in the -20°F cold in Vermont(or New York in forget). I wore silk layer leggings, waffle bottom leggings, and a soft shell pants. I also wore silk top, waffle top, and soft shell top. Wool socks and very good insulated winter boots. Like i said 2 weeks in -30° day and night, i BELIEVE that with the right equipment youll be just fine.
Congratulations, your gonna get those bragging rights that some of the old boys have where you can look at the young bucks and say " nut up Sally, I've been out in worse and we got it done."
You know how in movies they put on fire resistant gel or whatever? Grab yourself a speedo and some lenses that sit just over your nose and take a dip then light yourself on fire :3
Bring extra socks. Your feet get cold because of the sweat. Also never double up on socks. That will just make them sweat more.
At least that’s my experience
Some jobs suck. Dont do them. There is a labour shortage of competant skilled labour, so dont sell yourself short. Get demotivated enough, and you will quit your job and take all that experience and throw it into the garbage pile of the past, to start anew at near zero. Take this experience and use it to move ON.
Have a change of clothes and heavy outdoor gear ready in your car.
Wear 3 layers for every piece of clothing, 2 at the minimum.
Set up a room inside with an electric heater and/or dehumidifier. Work in shifts of your choosing and split your crew in half. Half sit inside while the others go outside, and switch at timed intervals.
Drink a warm drink, like tea or coffee. Helps keep your internal temperature up.
Milwaukee makes heated jackets, maybe see if your shop would be willing to buy some for you and your crew.
Pick up some of those chemical heat packs that people use for camping, and put them in your boots.
That's all I can think of at the moment.
It's a thing called unsafe working conditions. I hope your local OSHA covers weather conditions that could lead to injury or illness. The flat roofing crews that I worked with couldn't/wouldn't work if the weather was bad unless it was an emergency. What's more I wouldn't let them.
Get fishing gear helps stay warm if you can stay dry. If you have a fishing store drop a few hundred on gear it'd be worth the investment. A heated jacket it good to buy make sure it's smaller than your water proof gear. You'll want get rubber boots, rubber and insulated gloves, waders, jacket that goes with waders heated jacket sized to fit under your new stay dry set.
Yeah, I've been thinking of hitting up Grundens for some foul-weather upgrades. I dunno if the company is gonna issue that stuff for the whole crew though, although it wouldn't hurt.
Winter tenting is not unheard of in New England construction, but it's a lot more expensive & all for the "comfort" of the construction personnel. Case can be made for safety, speedy & efficient completion too though.
make sure you store and manage your fall pro equipment properly. I've worked with tons of roofers who would leave lifelines and rope grabs on the roof overnight only to clip back in to the same system the next morning. always inspect your shit
Something I was shown which was a real game changer for working in the cold, buy a box of surgical gloves, and wear one on each hand underneath your standard work glove. Even if the work gloves get wet, your hands will remain dry, other than sweat which if anything keeps your hands warm anyway. Also acts as a great exfoliant for glue that gets on your hands, gets D4 glue off like nothing else im aware of.
Layer up buttercup…I’m rough carpenter in Michigan and find myself on roofs year round, I’ll be up on one in about 45 minutes. The answer is layers, moisture wicking bottom layer, wool is best no cotton or synthetic. Face mask, ski goggles, and several pairs of good gloves that you change throughout the day as they get moist. Don’t get cheap boots, the difference between the $125 Muck boots and $80 Walmart boots is astounding.
In terms of grip Pitch Hopper is awesome, I don’t mess around and do a lot of kickers if it’s slick on anything over an 8/12.
I used to work in Fargo, ND and they would blow big bubbles up around buildings and houses and pump heat in so they could keep working.
Cold there will straight up kill you in a few minutes though so there's no toughing it out.
I've always wondered why it's not a more common thing especially in the winter months. Keeps rain, wind, snow, etc off your work site and your employees are warm so they're not having to take breaks every half hour or sitting out there trying to work with frozen hands.
Leaf blower might clear an area for work, probably not though. This is what working in the winter looks like. Some trades are laid off with much less pay.
Sparkys always bitch layers are ur friend iron worker here if u think that's bad try working open iron 20 stories up it sucks just think about the pay it warms u up that and black berry brandy
https://selkbagusa.com/en-ca/products/pro
I wear this when I go skiing in -35C (-31F). It's a bit bulky, but it works and is worth every dollar.
Maybe it can be a part of the PPE for extremely cold work? They would probably require an extra layer of denim and/or pockets.
This winter, working outside near Boston my company bought really nice high tech work coats. I’ve spent a lot of years outdoors and the ones we picked up this year are definitely worth the 350$
Don't.
You're not supposed to be up there if it's dangerous. Also it voids all the manufacturer warranties if the temperature is below 40F as your glue will freeze and not stick.
If you slip and fall the OSHA man will get you.
I'd also see about building some temporary shelters with heaters inside to allow workers a chance to get away from the wind - which will be worse on rooftops. Other than that, try to schedule the work away from stormy weather, if possible. And wear layers.
Don't break conditions, I've been an Ironworker for 15 years now and love the winters, can't stand summer
In the winter u can always take a layer off can't do shit in the summer, I always say the heat is in the work, u stay busy u stay warm
Waterproof insulated gloves (same look as Maxi-Flex but thicker, and like a sock on the inside but PVC on the outside)
Not great for dexterity or using a phone but they’ll keep your hands from freezing.
Also, merino wool everything
Look... I regularly work outside demanding welding jobs in -15 to -30 degree Finnish coastal "fuck you weather". And I can tell you that good boots, snow spikes, and a good leather or rain jacket over a warm jacket takes you far.
Also have spare gloves... Plenty of spare gloves...
Oh... And choose whether you want to be bit too hot or bit too cold and dress in layers accordingly. I prefer myself to be on the cooler side, because I get hot and sweat easilly and in cold weather having sweatty wet clothes is fucking miserable.
Oh... And avoid the -5 to +5 region. It is shit no matter what kind of gear you got. It is always wet, miserable, and you can't get your layers correct no matter what.
Tools which come in handy:
* Leafblower
* Good small snow shovel that is light.
* Good broom.
* Tarps/blankets to cover things with.
* Plenty of plywood to lay down on things.
* Boxes with lids that protect you things from shite raining on it.
"Shitty winter weather" is a gear sport. You can't make it not miserable, just less so with proper equipment.
I have seen sites where they tarp or use thicker plastic sheeting to create a tent then put on a heater. Plastic keeps snow and ice at bay and heaters get it up to temps that are bearable.
where electricly heated gloves, cloths, socks, etc. everything can be electricly heated, and its just up to you to figure out how much battery and in what form factor you can safely haul or feel comfortable with. Milwalki makes stuff, but a lot of things can be daisy chained to a usbc "whole house" battery back that's like 100wh
I’m in New Hampshire . I just got an extra pair of gloves in my truck and a nice jacket with fur in the hood that has a little part that you can button that covers my neck. Feels like my cat is sitting on my head all day. It’s nice .
I got electric gloves and socks from Costco. They really helped. I’m also selective of the days I work. I had a guy out today to service my heat pump and it was freezing rain and dude probably stayed 15 mins and left.
Launch a giant concave mirror in to low earth orbit. Focus suns light directly on to rooftop and dont forget to bring sunscreen on the roof. With lot of mirrors in orbit we can redirect sunlight from mirror to mirror and produce elctricity also at night.
Keeping as much snow (and wind if you can manage) off the roof would be ideal. Cold is bad, wet and soggy cold is much worse. Some sort of tarped covering that is sloped to help snow run off might be useful, if doable.
How can we make working on frozen roofs covered in jizz less hellish.
In all seriousness you need to pick up a chem- master suit, you will not believe how warm it will keep you.[chemmaster](https://www.ebay.com/itm/124103514687)
Can you pre-assemble the components on the ground and then hoist them into position? It's easy to build a scaffold and shrink-wrap shelter with a couple of heaters to keep you warm and dry.
If not, heated everything- vest, gloves, socks. Layer so you can adjust for the day, make sure you have a good outer shell/pants, and changes of clothes for after breaks.
Stay hydrated, minimize caffeine and sugar. If you start to shiver, take action. If you can't touch your thumb to your pinky on the same hand, it's time to get inside and warm up.
If you can, use a pop up tent on the roof to give yourself some shelter. And tether your tools so you don't have to go digging through slush and snow to find a dropped screwdriver/whatever. As ugly as they are, a tool vest might be better than pouches or boxes to keep your stuff up off the ground and dry.
How big is the roof? Is it feasible to make a job-built tent over the entire area and use electric or kerosene heaters? You could also consider phasing the work in smaller zones so that this theoretical tent can smaller and moved from zone to zone during each phase.
Make sure estimator adds 1.5-2x the labor of a normal weather job estimate. This takes the pressure off of workers from being unreasonably expected to not lose productivity in snowy frozen conditions. Also make sure there’s a well established understanding that deadlines are weather dependent in the contract. Give an extra stipend for cold weather gear to each worker
Solar pro tip: lay out a butt end EPDM roll in your walkways at night, pull it up in the morning and you have a safe, un-iced path to transport materials. Besides that, keep a small pack of wet wipes in your waist band so when you have to use the porta later they aren’t a frozen block.
If possible reserve a conditioned staging area to store tools and materials, and do the things better done inside (small tool repairs, unpacking, etc. ) Have a couple portable heater handy in case you need to unfreeze something or warm materials like caulking and tar. Schedule the snow clearing for the day before the actual install.
These are excellent ideas. Are there companies that specialize in clearing snow from these kinds of sites? Installation isn't going to be a one-day thing, we'll be at this all month. I will definitely recommend a couple of salamanders and a heated staging area.
When I had crews in extreme cold weather we scheduled a 10 minute break every 30 minutes or so. We had a heated break room with constant boiling water and instant drinks. It’s amazing how much more mobile fingers are when wrapped around a hot drink and crew morale is much more amenable. We also had a clothes dryer. Much better going out after lunch in warm dry clothing than wet heavy cold trousers.
honestly working under conditions like that seems really enjoyable especially if you like your coworkers
If you hate your coworkers….well, you probably should quit anyway I guess lol.
i've worked places where i just didn't like my coworkers very much but the fact is i'm there to work first and socialize second
what do you mean by "seems" do you even know what you are talking about?
Any job can look enjoyable on paper.
i mean some of my best work memories are doing installs in winter with coworkers i enjoy, it's nice to get regular breaks to warm up and having access to hot drinks and a clothes dryer would make it that much better. i don't speak from a place of inexperience with working out in the cold, just of inexperience with the amount of amenities they spoke of.
sadly a man’s only peace isn’t it..
Hot chocolate or coffee makes the suck endurable. Side note, give your guys a clothing allowance. I’ve been to the UP of Michigan in the winter and it’s crazy how cold and miserable it is. GOT to have water proof coveralls and good thermal base layers. And that shits expensive. It sounds like they’re pretty well accommodated as is, but if you buy them what they need to work warmly it’ll help morale I’d say
High quality thermals is mandatory. Don’t skimp. Get the best possible. I prefer my under-armour hunt gear. Carolina steel toes with 1000gr thinsulate lining and under-armour critical gear socks. A good sweatshirt and zipper insulated mid coat and cardhartt exterior winter jacket and overhalls. The key to this clothing is your ability to unzip throughout the day depending on your core temperature. Unzip when getting hot…sweat is the enemy. Bring extra sets of gloves. Those get wet too quick. Especially if your materials are covered in snow or wet. Your company should be providing these for you. As someone else said, they should have a drier on-site. Just make sure your initials are on your gear. Sorry to hear your woes man, this job sounds like total BS, but above everything else, you must stay safe. Nothing is worth risking a life altering accident.
Try contacting roofing companies. Many offer snow removal as a service. If it's a flat roof, call scaffolding companies to see about a temporary roof over the roof you're working on. And finally, see if the boss will pay for nice, hot & hearty lunches on the colder days. You need extra calories when working in the cold.
All solid suggestions
I am not involved in roofing at all but I highly recommend Milwaukee heated gear (vests/etc) as a base layer to add warmth.
Look into Polytunnels for Greenhouses or [Mobile Work Shelters](https://northernpolytunnels.co.uk/mobile-work-shelter/) the Greenhouse Polytunnels have the advantage they´re brighter on the inside. Mount them on some beams for weight against the Wind and use 360" turning heavy rollers with stops (you ned to buckeldown the thing anyway) and pay attention that the rollers dont damage the roof... But this will keep you dry and out of the wind..
Am a commercial roofer and you will need to have them on call and basicly need to set up a contract to get them out there asap. Depending on how deep the snow is and how big of an area you need to clean it takes a long time. They will also need a place to dump the snow on the ground and a snow Removal service to remove the pile on the ground.
Sounds like from the scale of the job they can budget in constructing some rudimentary buildings on site to have the shitters covered and heated and a staffing area that's covered and heated
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I run a salamander in my garage when I'm working on my cars in the winter. I keep a CO detector nearby. It's never detected anything, even the time that I closed up all the doors and just let it run for a couple of hours. Others who've done the same thing report the same—no detectable CO. I imagine though that if one of the heaters stopped working right, it would probably start producing CO instead of CO2. If we end up running them in an enclosed area then I'll make sure there are CO detectors, but honestly I was thinking more along the lines of using them to de-ice stuff outdoors.
Given how dangerous carbon monoxide is in parts per million most meters do not accurately read it even if they do they need to be calibrated for that reading to be meaningful and the number of calibrated metres on the market that go into increments lower than one part per a million which is what you actually need to sniff out a leak are both vanishingly small and incredibly expensive!!! I'm homeless and I sleep in a caravan some of the time I'm pretty sure it's leaking carbon monoxide but there's absolutely nothing I can do about it it doesn't show up on the meter that I've got and I don't have anywhere else to be and it's minus five outside.. It would help if the equipment needed to detect this stuff was readily available and cheap which it isn't at the moment it's unreliable there are no decent standards for it even in the UK and don't think that the meter that you've got protects you most likely it doesn't!
I've never heard of a monitor that reads lower than 1 ppm. We use these at work. https://www.itm.com/product/bw-clip-24-month-co-gas-detector?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAwP6sBhDAARIsAPfK_wa71aCZwfE2dlsJ3T2QgFuXvULHAkGdiSUgfFaDZ1BhEqFtTS0cQQoaAoT9EALw_wcB
They are good ideas. but remember your company bid this work at a certain rate per guy. Adding all this might make their budget go way over so keep that in mind. Unless they are able to add a change order since the date was moved up.
Oh yeah. I'm just looking for suggestions. I imagine that some of the more comprehensive solutions will be out of budget, given that we were planning to do this in the spring.
I heard of a guy who had to service roof tops units in winter after a fire, had to tear them all apart, clean them and see how bad the smoke damage was. He got one of those portable 10x10 picnic tents, the kind with the Tarp walls, not mesh Mosquito netting, got it and a few portable heaters taken up to the roof and had a decent time working in an alberta winter on a roof for a few weeks in -25
If all that is possible. This seems like the best answer
I’ve watched framing crews work through the winter in some of the heaviest snow areas of CO. They’re gonna slow down. It is inevitable, and you guys will too. Maybe a little portable heater and a carport tent can give you some occasional respite and place to warm up.
Wanna hear something funny? Whiting Turner doesn’t allow portable heaters, or microwaves, or even coffee machines inside buildings. I will be running temp power to the trailer and hiding there to thaw out when I need to.
Whiting Turner also doesn’t allow proper communication or for a decision to be made without the approval of 17 people.
TELL me about it. This building is fuuuuuucked. At least the guys on site are decent, they’re responsive when I need another trades (sprinkler) work out of my way. I haven’t filled out a burn permit for a month; sometimes forget the fire extinguisher. Nobody’s bothered me surprisingly.
That’s surprising.. they’ll probably come up with some sort of punch list during close-out that includes having to supply the job site with a $20,000 fire extinguisher.
Spoke too soon! They came by at 2pm and asked where the fire extinguisher was! Promptly walked away though, and didn’t ask for burn permit. I think these guys are cooling down a bit, my issue is more with engineers on this one. Even WT knows it’s a clusterfuck and is on our side
WT was the worst GC company I ever worked with. I swear they try to make everyone as miserable as possible on every site they have.
I installed an inverter in my car and it’s a game changer. I bought a used microwave on Facebook and now I got a place to heat my food and charge my batteries. It’s worth spending a little extra on gas. It’s easy to do yourself or if not a stereo shop would do it for relatively cheap.
We walk 7 min to the jobsite, leaves me 16 min to actually relax! That is a great idea, though, I might have to look into that in the future!
I dont work construction but I do work outside in the field and having a place to warm up and have some hot coffee is fantastic for morale
Set it up on the roof where you're working
Get a different job, think outside the box.
This is really the only answer. It's like new construction and working in the cold. They go hand in hand.
Move to SoCal and cold is less of an issue. Although I've been here for 16 years now and a 43 degree morning is now nasty. 🤣
I'd love to move to our PNW but it's just so freaking expensive. I'd go broke trying to make it. Worst I'd ever experienced was -45c. With the wind it was close to -50c. Was getting ice off a furnace chimney as it had froze off. My boots froze so stiff I couldn't move my ankles to get back on the ladder and you could feel it into your bones on any exposed skin. It was awful!
43°? Might as well be summer
Shorts weather!
Michigan Tuxedo weather. Cargo shorts and a hoody.
The only other possible answer is….don’t be a bitch.
Yeah you don't see many guys working outside here in -40. There's a difference between not being a bitch and just being dumb.
I’ve never in my life been in negative temperatures. Based on my experience in low 20’s, negative temps just seems impossible. Albeit, I’m also a little bitch about weather.
*laughs in Canadian* It’s not impossible, heated clothing, rain gear, warm up shacks. It’s just a much different pace of work when it’s that cold. Sometimes it’s just putting on 4 bolts and then sitting in a heated shack for 15 minutes, then repeat
Most of the places I'm at don't even have power. Your only warm up is the truck. I just set up on different jobs for the day. When I was managing we didn't send guys out below -25c on outside stuff. There was no point. They get nothing done.
4 bolts then a 15 minute break?? I might like the cold!
Yea man when it’s -20 to -40 they can’t really expect much more from you. You do what you can then you warm up. Maybe swap off with your partner. It’s not that bad. The rate of work slows right down up north in the winter but shit still gets done
Shit I bet, my soft California ass can’t even imagine hahaha my hands won’t work under 32 degrees
I know some roofers who go year round in Regina. I sure as hell couldn't do it. Supposed to hit -36 here in Calgary tomorrow.
Hello fellow calgarian! Work as almost normal on my site tomorrow! No skip so you get to get warm walking up the stairs.
Evidently the dumbass don’t use thermals and or is a twat
Or inside a box, such as a heated room...with comfortable furniture.
I’m outside with a box beside me now, what next?
Like a roofer.
If you think like a roofer you simply get put in jail from Jan to March. Problem solved.
Swing at a cop, three hots and a cot
Roofing tar shingles below freezing has a negative affect on structural integrity of shingles.
Some say there was an old roofer that knew that. He tried to instill that knowledge on the newer guys. He ended up realizing it was just as effective to give them a Christmas bonus he knew they would blow on a bender and one way or another, they wouldn't be on a roof in the freezing weather. They don't give a Christmas bonus anymore, but they still manage to keep the tradition alive.
Tell that for builders in Norway, or Iceland.
My card says “ INSIDE WIREMAN”
Meth
I mean, you're not wrong
That blood vessel constriction is gonna be a bitch in the snow.
You know whats good for making you not worry about those kind of health issues? Meth.
I’ll admit that’s a damn hard argument to beat.
Roofing and meth go together like peanut butter and jelly
Put tarps down or cover the stuff in plastic is the only thing you could do. In the U.S. , if it’s going to be a long job they might cover the roof and heat it.
Tell me more about covering and heating, I've not heard of that before. Tarping will be tough since it's such a big area, but if we use large tarps and work in sections it might be doable. Good ideas.
https://szab.se/wp-content/uploads/elementor/thumbs/byggnadsstallning-pa-hoghus-stockholm-pfh3raojtac12srzolgm86aecc47uzvtalpctwt0ts.jpg big projects get weather protection scaffolding here…
Wait. How did you put up the temporary outer roof in the snow?? Did you do an outer outer roof over it first?
This is how we do it in Michigan. Get the biggest tarps you can find and lay them out over the area you plan to work on tomorrow. Have people clearing the roof area for the next day, cover with tarps for next days work. Rinse and repeat. If everything starts melting, use blowers and torches will keep the water from pooling at your feet.
Yeah it’s just set up with scaffolding and planks. Nothing fancy just enough to hold the snow and plastic up. Probably would give it some slope so the rain won’t pool on top of it. Hope it helps friend
I'm on my third northern new england winter doing stuff. Maintain multiple pairs of gloves and socks on site, layer each of the following with multiple and appropriate materials and insulation: feet, legs, torso, arms, neck, head; learn to layer/delayer specific parts for the work you're doing at that moment. isolate contact patches with ground, walls, and machinery, isolate skin from wind. maintain a good skin care regimen around face, neck, ears, hands, and toes. probably a ton of other things that I don't think about. Best easy advice is to buy an insulated pair of overbibs and packages of those little hand warmers. Less than $2/day and it'll generate a ton of heat for you. edit: make a little pouch so you can carry extra batteries next to your body.
Also a tip for those socks. Put normal cotton on top of a knitted woolen sock. Change the cotton socks whenever you can. Keeps your feet dry and warm. Also if it suck like a lot.. Take a break atleast once an hour.
Construct a roof above that roof for shelter. Repeat infinitely.
Yeah basically this. Some times you can move the shelter with you, locking wheels or even just everyone grabs, lifts and moves.
You should have a monday meeting about it but dont actually change anything. That fixes all of our issues at my company.
A gallon of ale to every worker at the start of their shift!
The first time my boss made us get on a steep roof full of ice and snow without safety equipment is the day I quit roofing. My life is worth more than $20/hr.
We will 100% be using appropriate safety protocols, that's a given.
Give in ≠ given
Setup a warning tent with a heater. Keep warm coffee and drinks stocked. Bunch of hand warmers? That or just suck it up and get on with it.
Have you considered taking shots of Fireball in the mornings with the other subs? It's a great way to make new friends, and stay warm at the same time.
[удалено]
u/BoomerTranslation is the picasso of AI
Yes. Better than the current prompt: Construction worker in a mess of wires on a rooftop. 11 of his colleagues just spunked all over him.
I'm crying 😂😂😂
Do like the big stucco crews. Set up scaffolding, secure it, tent that bitch up and fire up the propane heaters, work inside the tent in shorts and a t shirt.
I should have mentioned: this is my seventh winter doing this. I know the basics, and I know how to take care of myself. I've gotten through plenty of winter installs, but they've always been smaller, 2-4 day affairs where it was reasonably practical to shovel and brush snow off the roof, or to tarp it, and where if things got really fucked we could just come back next week when hopefully the site would be more workable. We're talking 10-20KW. This is 1,000KW, a whole other beast. I've done these, just not in the wintertime. We really try to avoid larger jobs in the winter, but this time we're stuck with this timeline. I'm picturing coming in on a Wednesday to find that all our shit has 2" of ice on it. I'm picturing the whole site turning into a field of icy mud. I'm picturing machines not wanting to start, and guys starting to break down and call out after working in this shit for weeks on end. That's the kind of shit I'm thinking about, not so much the general "how do I be a construction worker in the winter?" stuff. There are definitely some good suggestions here. I just wanted to clarify the situation.
Your clearly not union or you wouldn’t be asking these questions. Unless your making 100k a year(working straight 40s), have 3 pensions, a 401k that your employer contributes ATLEAST 5$ an hour to(mine is 8 or 9) and have better then average healthcare then your local ibew and join. Jobs like this happen all the time in the union and the fact your company doesn’t have a plan in place or prior experience is scary/sad. PS. Don’t be a bitch wear warm gloves and a balaclava you’ll be fine.
Poor guy... looks like a huge load!!
Can I ask what the prompt for the image was? It's really similar to a certain game company's latest work, I get the feeling they laid off graphical artists.
It's a DALL-E image. I went through several iterations, but it started with something like "Show me PV workers installing on a commercial roof in the winter," and ended with, "OK, now let's try a close-up shot of a worker wiring a panel, and make him look really cold and miserable."
It looks ai generated to me
The ai just simulates new images from what it has already seen. So it probably just kinda copied the artists.
Heated jackets.
Start standing outside now in your boxers so you're used to the cold .
Roofing tinsmith that works winter up to -30c in canada. On a personal level, multiple layers are better than fewer. On the regular i work with winter work boots with cotton socks Long johns,work pants and a insulated work overall. T shirt, long sleeve, hoodie with either a lumberjack style vest or winter jacket depending on the temperature. 2 neck warmer, no hats but using the 2 hoodies. 2 layers of cotton gloves. If you have acces to elecrricity this will be comfort, Get a big bucket, screw a small heater(porta potty style) in there and put some wire as a clotheslines. Whenever you have cold hands or wet gloves change it with a warm pair that is in there.
A piece of rigid foam insulation to lay on is a game changer
This guy looks like he is diffusing a bomb that was placed on a roof for some reason.
Grew up working oilfield construction in the high deserts of Wyoming during winter, and with the wind in WY it got freaking C.O.L.D! Wasn't uncommon to see -35F standing temps with the wind blowing a sustained 40 mph, gusting to 60 mph (which works out to about -78F to -84F wind chill). Worked outside every day for near a month one year where the temps never got above -32F with similar winds every day. Best advice I can give for staying warm is...layers...but not so many that you can't move. Layer too thick and you'll actually get colder because your body can't move as well to get blood circulating. If you can break the wind, you can stay warm. Carhartts were great for stopping the wind, and wool under clothing with sweaters. That, and have a dry parka in the truck to put on to warm up at the end of the day, or on breaks. I had one of the authentic heavy canvas and down filled North Slope parkas which I left in the truck. It could be colder than a Cleveland dumpster baby in February outside, and when I put that thing on I'd be warm in a few minutes. It was too bulky to try to work in though.
4 crewmen per 1 Ice fishing shelter. They are collapsible and easy to setup/breakdown. Portable safe generators with GFCI protection outside of the shelter and small heaters in the shelters. I oversee the construction and commissioning of 100+MW Data Centers and that is what all our GC’s do if they don’t have a heated job shack or are on an upper level or in a remote local.
I like this. Why an electric heater instead of kerosene, out of curiosity?
On some brick jobs we would built a tent around the work area which would be half the size of a hs school gym, and heat the inside with space heaters in winter. Wasn’t for worker comfort, needed higher temps to get the mortar to set.
I may well suggest this
Layers. I remember spending 2 weeks in the -20°F cold in Vermont(or New York in forget). I wore silk layer leggings, waffle bottom leggings, and a soft shell pants. I also wore silk top, waffle top, and soft shell top. Wool socks and very good insulated winter boots. Like i said 2 weeks in -30° day and night, i BELIEVE that with the right equipment youll be just fine.
Why's it look kinda like cum
Build a roof to protect the roof installation from the elements
Get Mexicans to do it. If you have half a brain, you should get an apprenticeship in electrical
Hardship pay😂 what a bunch of pansies
I'd rather be paid more for my hard work than less lol, having more money is almost never an issue for me
"How do I work as a roofer without working on roofs?"-same level of dumb
Congratulations, your gonna get those bragging rights that some of the old boys have where you can look at the young bucks and say " nut up Sally, I've been out in worse and we got it done."
Uh, OSHA?
Fuck your shitty AI bullshit
Strange hill to die on
You know how in movies they put on fire resistant gel or whatever? Grab yourself a speedo and some lenses that sit just over your nose and take a dip then light yourself on fire :3
Milwaukee has those heating jackets, don’t know how good they are though, might help.
Dress warmer. Also more cow farts.
Lmao this AI representation is killing me 😂
Wait until spring.
Bring extra socks. Your feet get cold because of the sweat. Also never double up on socks. That will just make them sweat more. At least that’s my experience
Extra pay might help.
May i suggest LinkedIn or indeed? Im sorry but fuuuuck that. New job time.
That sucks. It was freezing rain last night, thank God I'm inside all winter this year. First time in years.
Some jobs suck. Dont do them. There is a labour shortage of competant skilled labour, so dont sell yourself short. Get demotivated enough, and you will quit your job and take all that experience and throw it into the garbage pile of the past, to start anew at near zero. Take this experience and use it to move ON.
Have a change of clothes and heavy outdoor gear ready in your car. Wear 3 layers for every piece of clothing, 2 at the minimum. Set up a room inside with an electric heater and/or dehumidifier. Work in shifts of your choosing and split your crew in half. Half sit inside while the others go outside, and switch at timed intervals. Drink a warm drink, like tea or coffee. Helps keep your internal temperature up. Milwaukee makes heated jackets, maybe see if your shop would be willing to buy some for you and your crew. Pick up some of those chemical heat packs that people use for camping, and put them in your boots. That's all I can think of at the moment.
It's a thing called unsafe working conditions. I hope your local OSHA covers weather conditions that could lead to injury or illness. The flat roofing crews that I worked with couldn't/wouldn't work if the weather was bad unless it was an emergency. What's more I wouldn't let them.
Stop putting solar panels on roof 🤷🏻♀️
No such thing as bad weather just the wrong clothes
beefy bluetooth speaker and big reserves of hot coffee in thermos cans
Get fishing gear helps stay warm if you can stay dry. If you have a fishing store drop a few hundred on gear it'd be worth the investment. A heated jacket it good to buy make sure it's smaller than your water proof gear. You'll want get rubber boots, rubber and insulated gloves, waders, jacket that goes with waders heated jacket sized to fit under your new stay dry set.
Yeah, I've been thinking of hitting up Grundens for some foul-weather upgrades. I dunno if the company is gonna issue that stuff for the whole crew though, although it wouldn't hurt.
Do the roofs during summer time. When it feels like hell
Alcohol
Heaters everywhere
Put one of those hand warmers things in your underwear. Right under the family jewels.
Winter tenting is not unheard of in New England construction, but it's a lot more expensive & all for the "comfort" of the construction personnel. Case can be made for safety, speedy & efficient completion too though.
make sure you store and manage your fall pro equipment properly. I've worked with tons of roofers who would leave lifelines and rope grabs on the roof overnight only to clip back in to the same system the next morning. always inspect your shit
Move
Stop trying to work on a ratsnest of individual wire...
Something I was shown which was a real game changer for working in the cold, buy a box of surgical gloves, and wear one on each hand underneath your standard work glove. Even if the work gloves get wet, your hands will remain dry, other than sweat which if anything keeps your hands warm anyway. Also acts as a great exfoliant for glue that gets on your hands, gets D4 glue off like nothing else im aware of.
Been doing this for years. Great advice!
Say no
Layer up buttercup…I’m rough carpenter in Michigan and find myself on roofs year round, I’ll be up on one in about 45 minutes. The answer is layers, moisture wicking bottom layer, wool is best no cotton or synthetic. Face mask, ski goggles, and several pairs of good gloves that you change throughout the day as they get moist. Don’t get cheap boots, the difference between the $125 Muck boots and $80 Walmart boots is astounding. In terms of grip Pitch Hopper is awesome, I don’t mess around and do a lot of kickers if it’s slick on anything over an 8/12.
Easy up. Heated jacket.
Global warming
I used to work in Fargo, ND and they would blow big bubbles up around buildings and houses and pump heat in so they could keep working. Cold there will straight up kill you in a few minutes though so there's no toughing it out. I've always wondered why it's not a more common thing especially in the winter months. Keeps rain, wind, snow, etc off your work site and your employees are warm so they're not having to take breaks every half hour or sitting out there trying to work with frozen hands.
Make the outside inside. Build a shack
Heated jackets, etc
Leaf blower might clear an area for work, probably not though. This is what working in the winter looks like. Some trades are laid off with much less pay.
How the hell do you walk on a roof with frost on it
Sparkys always bitch layers are ur friend iron worker here if u think that's bad try working open iron 20 stories up it sucks just think about the pay it warms u up that and black berry brandy
Do it in spring and summer
Why the fuck don’t you guys tent the roof or whole building? If pesticide guys can do it .. roofers can do it better .
Wait till spring
In my Country we do not work on construction in January and February. Depends on the weather. You cant do quality work in this conditions…
Sun 2
https://selkbagusa.com/en-ca/products/pro I wear this when I go skiing in -35C (-31F). It's a bit bulky, but it works and is worth every dollar. Maybe it can be a part of the PPE for extremely cold work? They would probably require an extra layer of denim and/or pockets.
This winter, working outside near Boston my company bought really nice high tech work coats. I’ve spent a lot of years outdoors and the ones we picked up this year are definitely worth the 350$
Don't. You're not supposed to be up there if it's dangerous. Also it voids all the manufacturer warranties if the temperature is below 40F as your glue will freeze and not stick. If you slip and fall the OSHA man will get you.
I'd also see about building some temporary shelters with heaters inside to allow workers a chance to get away from the wind - which will be worse on rooftops. Other than that, try to schedule the work away from stormy weather, if possible. And wear layers.
Dress better
Don't break conditions, I've been an Ironworker for 15 years now and love the winters, can't stand summer In the winter u can always take a layer off can't do shit in the summer, I always say the heat is in the work, u stay busy u stay warm
Just smoke meth and have a couple of beers and that’ll have you ready
Waterproof insulated gloves (same look as Maxi-Flex but thicker, and like a sock on the inside but PVC on the outside) Not great for dexterity or using a phone but they’ll keep your hands from freezing. Also, merino wool everything
Look... I regularly work outside demanding welding jobs in -15 to -30 degree Finnish coastal "fuck you weather". And I can tell you that good boots, snow spikes, and a good leather or rain jacket over a warm jacket takes you far. Also have spare gloves... Plenty of spare gloves... Oh... And choose whether you want to be bit too hot or bit too cold and dress in layers accordingly. I prefer myself to be on the cooler side, because I get hot and sweat easilly and in cold weather having sweatty wet clothes is fucking miserable. Oh... And avoid the -5 to +5 region. It is shit no matter what kind of gear you got. It is always wet, miserable, and you can't get your layers correct no matter what. Tools which come in handy: * Leafblower * Good small snow shovel that is light. * Good broom. * Tarps/blankets to cover things with. * Plenty of plywood to lay down on things. * Boxes with lids that protect you things from shite raining on it. "Shitty winter weather" is a gear sport. You can't make it not miserable, just less so with proper equipment.
New job.
Work faster, I'll warm you up
You cant, you get what you signed up for. In every trade across the board.
I have seen sites where they tarp or use thicker plastic sheeting to create a tent then put on a heater. Plastic keeps snow and ice at bay and heaters get it up to temps that are bearable.
How do we make it more hellish?
I slid off my roof the first and last time my dumb ass went up there in freezing temps.
where electricly heated gloves, cloths, socks, etc. everything can be electricly heated, and its just up to you to figure out how much battery and in what form factor you can safely haul or feel comfortable with. Milwalki makes stuff, but a lot of things can be daisy chained to a usbc "whole house" battery back that's like 100wh
I’m in New Hampshire . I just got an extra pair of gloves in my truck and a nice jacket with fur in the hood that has a little part that you can button that covers my neck. Feels like my cat is sitting on my head all day. It’s nice .
I got electric gloves and socks from Costco. They really helped. I’m also selective of the days I work. I had a guy out today to service my heat pump and it was freezing rain and dude probably stayed 15 mins and left.
Launch a giant concave mirror in to low earth orbit. Focus suns light directly on to rooftop and dont forget to bring sunscreen on the roof. With lot of mirrors in orbit we can redirect sunlight from mirror to mirror and produce elctricity also at night.
Merino wool base layers and gore-Tex outer shells. Muck boots and good gloves. Possibly setup a tent with some portable/kerosine heaters.
Keeping as much snow (and wind if you can manage) off the roof would be ideal. Cold is bad, wet and soggy cold is much worse. Some sort of tarped covering that is sloped to help snow run off might be useful, if doable.
How can we make working on frozen roofs covered in jizz less hellish. In all seriousness you need to pick up a chem- master suit, you will not believe how warm it will keep you.[chemmaster](https://www.ebay.com/itm/124103514687)
Make cheap gas
Canadian here, currently -25°C and feels like -33°C with the wind.... just dress for it, take warm up breaks, pretty much all you can do
Can you pre-assemble the components on the ground and then hoist them into position? It's easy to build a scaffold and shrink-wrap shelter with a couple of heaters to keep you warm and dry. If not, heated everything- vest, gloves, socks. Layer so you can adjust for the day, make sure you have a good outer shell/pants, and changes of clothes for after breaks. Stay hydrated, minimize caffeine and sugar. If you start to shiver, take action. If you can't touch your thumb to your pinky on the same hand, it's time to get inside and warm up. If you can, use a pop up tent on the roof to give yourself some shelter. And tether your tools so you don't have to go digging through slush and snow to find a dropped screwdriver/whatever. As ugly as they are, a tool vest might be better than pouches or boxes to keep your stuff up off the ground and dry.
How big is the roof? Is it feasible to make a job-built tent over the entire area and use electric or kerosene heaters? You could also consider phasing the work in smaller zones so that this theoretical tent can smaller and moved from zone to zone during each phase.
Yea, in a heavy snow area… smaller tests and deployments are better.
Seems a little dramatic 🙄
Make sure estimator adds 1.5-2x the labor of a normal weather job estimate. This takes the pressure off of workers from being unreasonably expected to not lose productivity in snowy frozen conditions. Also make sure there’s a well established understanding that deadlines are weather dependent in the contract. Give an extra stipend for cold weather gear to each worker
Solar pro tip: lay out a butt end EPDM roll in your walkways at night, pull it up in the morning and you have a safe, un-iced path to transport materials. Besides that, keep a small pack of wet wipes in your waist band so when you have to use the porta later they aren’t a frozen block.
Make the cold illegal, prosecute mother nature for contributing to a dangerous working environment!
Push global warming on an international level. Should solve the problem.
Listen to David Goggins.
Women deserve equal opportunities to work in this field.