It was hot yesterday and it will be hotter today.  The attic I was in this afternoon had ventilation and still reached 128 degrees measured at head height at the attic access opening.  I have been in 140 degree attic spaces for short times and it really takes your breath away.  When attics get this hot or hotter it can and should reduce the amount of time you spend in the attic and reduce the areas of the attic you can access.

Spend too much time in the heat and you may get heat exhaustion or heat stroke.  This time of year I put restrictions on my inspection services.  I typically will not do frame inspections or perform work requiring long periods of time outdoors or in attics in the afternoons and work to schedule those for early in the day.  I find this necessary since I try to maximize my schedule and do not wish to schedule in break time for such jobs.  Be carful about doing inspection work on homes without HVAC in the hottest parts of the day.  Many homes ventilate poorly and interior temperatures can quickly rise to temperatures which are unsafe for working for extended times due to the poor natural ventilation of newer construction.  If you feel the building is too hot to work safely  for extended periods it is better to reschedule for a cooler part of the day than to loose time due to heat exhaustion or heat stroke.

Heat exhaustion occurs when your body gets too hot. The part of the brain that controls thirst and hunger, also controls the body's core temperature. Normally, the body cools itself by sweating. But if you are exposed to high temperatures for a long time (working outdoors in the summer, for example) and don't replace the fluids you lose, the body systems that regulate temperature become overwhelmed.

Signs of Heat Exhaustion
·    Headache
·    Nausea
·    Weakness
·    Vertigo
·    Thirst

Heat Stroke occurs when the body's system of temperature regulation fails and body temperature rises to critical levels.  Heat stroke is and should be treated as a medical emergency and you should get immediate medical attention. If body temperature is too high, it causes death.

Signs of Heat Stroke
·    Confusion
·    Convulsions
·    Irrational Behavior
·    Loss of Consciensness
·    Hot, Dry Skin
·    Lack of Sweating
·    Abnormally High Body Temperature

Keep drinking and be careful when working in hight tempratures.