First Legit Heat Exhaustion experience

[trad bow]

I think trad bow has the hottest job. Firefighting in about 600 degrees with glorified insulated coveralls is tough, but at least it normally doesn’t last more than about 15-30 minutes.

Re-Lyte from Redmond.com is a great supplement for outside workers. I’d recommend 2 packets for those that sure enough sweat. I’ve been using it pretty regular this summer, it helps. Y’all stay safe out there.

Had, I’m now retired I could tell some stories. From laying my arm on a hand rail to weld up a1 1/2” buttweld valve and burning my arm so bad thru a leather jacket and a cotton long sleeve Denim shirt that took two months to heal to walking across the grating and my shoe soles melting. I don’t like the outside temperatures but I learned to drink plenty of water. I could lose fifteen pounds during a work shift and almost water log myself before morning just to do it again. A had a lot of coworkers go through the same day to day grind. Some faired well and some didn’t make it to retirement. And that doesn’t even count all the equipment we had to crawl in that burnt every part of a person’s body. It was pure torture during the spring, summer and fall. Winter inside those plants made of concrete and steel would freeze you to death it seemed. Those same boilers that would cook your insides could not keep you warm in the winter. SS tubing 6’ from the boiler would freeze in the winter.

 

[trad bow]

Once it gets that hot it doesn`t matter whether it`s dry or wet heat. Top of a coal fired boiler is awful.

I don’t think the highest majority of people can fathom just how hot it was. Top of a boiler was akin to standing before the gates of Hades

 

[Nicodemus]

I don’t think the highest majority of people can fathom just how hot it was. Top of a boiler was akin to standing before the gates of Hades

That`s for sure. I hired on at Plant Mitchell and was there for two years before there was an opening on the line crew for me. That boiler always reminded me of a big bomb just waiting to go off.

 

[trad bow]

Main steam piping was 24” pipe with 2” thick walls. Steam going through those lines was 1000 degrees at 4500# of pressure. Anything inside one of those plants could kill you quick. Thankful I made it out. I’m crippled up but a few didn’t make it home at the end of the day.