Ok so for the past two days ive been helping to lay glaswool (fibreglass insulation) in an attic......a huge hospital attic so as you can imagine im getting covered in hte stuff and having pretty bad reactions to it.The itchyness and the sweltering heat is nigh unbearable,i mean i was nearly panicking and getting really frustrated today,i actually cant describe how bad i was feeling.......but moneys money i guess.What i was wondering was if anyone knew how to prevent fibre glass from getting into youre skin and causing havock.I get given silly suits that are like tea bags but they just act as insulator so theyre no good and theyre filled with holes so yu still get mad itchy.So come on and help me out,i tried rubbing my body with alum thinking it would tighten the surface of the skin so much that hte fibres couldnt get in but no good,moisturiser would just be a bad idea,talc might be good for the heat but not the itching but dont want to take talc onto a building sight lol
Glasswool
- Thread starter C.Morgan
- Start date
I'm not sure what you can do for the glass wool other than take a very cold shower after you are done working.
Try and find a paper suit made of tyvek. That should keep the fibers off of your body. Tape the sleeves and legs shut if they don't have elastic bands. Try not to pass gas while you are wearing the suit. Since the only exit for the gasses is the neck of the suit.
What ever you do, make sure you use a dust mask. You do not want those fibers to enter your lungs.
Terry
Try and find a paper suit made of tyvek. That should keep the fibers off of your body. Tape the sleeves and legs shut if they don't have elastic bands. Try not to pass gas while you are wearing the suit. Since the only exit for the gasses is the neck of the suit.
What ever you do, make sure you use a dust mask. You do not want those fibers to enter your lungs.
Terry
Lots of talc can help, but the Tyvek suit is key. Please tell us you have been using a proper filter/respirator.
- Thread starter
- #4
I'm not sure what you can do for the glass wool other than take a very cold shower after you are done working.
Try and find a paper suit made of tyvek. That should keep the fibers off of your body. Tape the sleeves and legs shut if they don't have elastic bands. Try not to pass gas while you are wearing the suit. Since the only exit for the gasses is the neck of the suit.
What ever you do, make sure you use a dust mask. You do not want those fibers to enter your lungs.
Terry
Yea i take a hot bath then rinse of with cold shower.Like i said the heat is unreal i can do about 10 minutes of crawling about before i have to run to the air vent lol im only wearing shorts and boots wih one of those paper suits which i reckon is tyvek from what i searched up on,they dont help much either when you have to lie on the stuff and they arent good at keeping you cool.Its easier to breath without masks,i know the dangers of the stuff but if i wore a mask id probably pass out.The job would be easy if not fun if it werent for the heat or itchyness,i could handle one but having to take both is torture lol.The roof is already insulated so i dont know why they have to go through the hassle of laying more insulation,plus its all around heat pipes which are on constantly.I think as soon as i make enough money to get a few essentials/luxurys im leaving.
Here is some information: http://www.naima.org/pages/benefits/hspp/appendix_1.html
The stuff is actually rated pretty safe compared to a lot of other things. Just extremely irritating.
Since it's mechanical irritation, you might want to take a pain reliever of some kind. I would suggest Scotch wiskey, but that's probably not permitted on the job. Anyway, some kind of over the counter pain reliever might help, that's up to you.
Funny thing, the talc may actually be more irritating to your lungs than the glass fibers. However, I use talc myself because I like it and it works pretty well down where I live with this heat. And boy do we have the heat right now.
Good luck.
The stuff is actually rated pretty safe compared to a lot of other things. Just extremely irritating.
Since it's mechanical irritation, you might want to take a pain reliever of some kind. I would suggest Scotch wiskey, but that's probably not permitted on the job. Anyway, some kind of over the counter pain reliever might help, that's up to you.
Funny thing, the talc may actually be more irritating to your lungs than the glass fibers. However, I use talc myself because I like it and it works pretty well down where I live with this heat. And boy do we have the heat right now.
Good luck.
I'd try wearing a long sleeve shirt that'll wick moisture away. Its a royal pain, I know, but that should help keep it away from your skin while letting the sweat wick away. I used to wear a long sleeve flannel shirt when I bailed hay & it worked wonders. I know its a little apples to oranges, but it could work.
Been there, and I feel your pain, brother.
Do not take a hot bath! Start with a cold(ish) shower and wipe yourself down in the direction of hair growth. Do not rub or scratch... or take a hot bath. The heat will open your pours more and allow the fibers to enter them, causing even more irritation. A bath will also cause them to migrate to other areas they might not have already made it to.
Not sure about the Tyvek.. I realize it's excellent for that purpose but the heat build up may make 'em too uncomfortable to wear. Heat stoke may then become an issue. I know I couldn't do it. You are going to need to dump as much heat as you can. Working in an attic, in the summer time, in a non-porous suit would have me beat.
You may want to try wearing a long sleeved light but tight weave cotton dress shirt (second hand or retired of course) with the cuffs and neck buttoned up (I've even taped my cuffs to my wrist with duct tape) and the lightest cotton pants you can find. Cover as much skin as you can.
+100 on the dust mask!
Good luck, and work hard!
Do not take a hot bath! Start with a cold(ish) shower and wipe yourself down in the direction of hair growth. Do not rub or scratch... or take a hot bath. The heat will open your pours more and allow the fibers to enter them, causing even more irritation. A bath will also cause them to migrate to other areas they might not have already made it to.
Not sure about the Tyvek.. I realize it's excellent for that purpose but the heat build up may make 'em too uncomfortable to wear. Heat stoke may then become an issue. I know I couldn't do it. You are going to need to dump as much heat as you can. Working in an attic, in the summer time, in a non-porous suit would have me beat.
You may want to try wearing a long sleeved light but tight weave cotton dress shirt (second hand or retired of course) with the cuffs and neck buttoned up (I've even taped my cuffs to my wrist with duct tape) and the lightest cotton pants you can find. Cover as much skin as you can.
+100 on the dust mask!
Good luck, and work hard!
Tyvek is vapor-permeable. Water vapor does go through. Actual sweat will not go through. Nothing is perfect in a hot attic. A new tyvek paper suit would keep the stuff off the skin. They are about $9 USD around here.
I know they are very effective, but they are really hot to wear. And horribly uncomfortable if all you've got on underneath is shorts.
It is only fiber-glass insulation, after all, not asbestos. I know from experience a tight woven cotton cloth will provide some protection, and is a heck of a lot more comfortable to wear in the heat.
At the end of the day, the dust mask is the only important thing. The itchyness is really nothing more than a discomfort. Your lungs, on the other hand, you kinda need.
If you are in an attic with no ventilation, I would not bother with shorts. Nothing comes between me and my Tyvek (tm) !
I mostly use Tyvek to extend the range of a summer sleeping bag. If I suit-up into a tyvek jumpsuit, I can use a 30 deg. F bag in 20 deg F weather. That does not argue for using one in really hot conditions, does it?
Never mind what your co-workers might think about you using talcum powder ... if it feels good, do it. An anti-itch product like Gold Bond Medicated Powder is probably your best bet, but even a generic baby powder will be better than nothing.
The Tyvek suit is a good way to keep the fibers from getting on your skin in the first place. Granted, its hot, but you're going to be hot anyway. Might as well just be hot, instead of hot and itchy.
The respirator is a given. Use it. Safety goggles, too. If there are still parts of your face exposed, you can cover them with a lightweight mask like a balaclava, and wear gloves to protect your hands.
Keeping the fibers off the outside of your body is one thing. You also need to concern yourself with your body's insides. keep yourself well hydrated. Drink plenty of ice water, or better yet, an electrolyte solution like Gatorade. You can get a small backpack like Camelbak that will allow you to carry the drink with you, under the suit, and take a sip even when you're stuck inside the cramped, hot, dirty attic. This should help you last a lot longer than the ten minutes at a stretch you reported now.
The Tyvek suit is a good way to keep the fibers from getting on your skin in the first place. Granted, its hot, but you're going to be hot anyway. Might as well just be hot, instead of hot and itchy.
The respirator is a given. Use it. Safety goggles, too. If there are still parts of your face exposed, you can cover them with a lightweight mask like a balaclava, and wear gloves to protect your hands.
Keeping the fibers off the outside of your body is one thing. You also need to concern yourself with your body's insides. keep yourself well hydrated. Drink plenty of ice water, or better yet, an electrolyte solution like Gatorade. You can get a small backpack like Camelbak that will allow you to carry the drink with you, under the suit, and take a sip even when you're stuck inside the cramped, hot, dirty attic. This should help you last a lot longer than the ten minutes at a stretch you reported now.
- Thread starter
- #13
Reprting back on todays work with the fibreglass......today was better,it wasnt as hot and i didnt get as itchy.I took a face cloth opened it up poured a generous amount of talc into the centre(pinauds aftershave talc 
) folded it up twisted it into a ball shape and tied the loose end with a rubber band so it was ike a powder poof.All the guys said there was no cure for the itch apart from not scrathing/thinking about it..........proved them wrong lol.
) folded it up twisted it into a ball shape and tied the loose end with a rubber band so it was ike a powder poof.All the guys said there was no cure for the itch apart from not scrathing/thinking about it..........proved them wrong lol.- Thread starter
- #14
Id rather be itchy than hot cause when i get hot i get that really horrid prickly itch all over lol.There is no way you could wear a balaclave in those sorts of conditions lol.Tried the respirator and found it harder to breath with it.I wear surgical gloves when handling the stuff so thats ok.Before i go to bed at night i fill two empty 2 litre plastic milk jugs with water and put them in hte freezer,they take about an hour to melt completly i the attic.Dont get me wrong at any time i can stop and leave hte attic and stand outside until im comforatble enough to go back inside,its just when im there id like to be comforatble when working.
