By Sarah Getz, President, RTG Solutions
From Chemical Burns to Fiberglass Rash: Real Remedies for Roofers
I didn’t set out to become an expert in treating chemical burns, dehydration, or fiberglass exposure. When you’re married to a roofer who’s been in the trade for over 10 years, you learn fast or you watch someone you love suffer unnecessarily.
When Robbie and I moved in together, I witnessed firsthand what the physical toll of commercial roofing looks like. He’d come home from pitch tar jobs in the middle of summer literally covered in burns, exhausted, feverish, and go straight to bed at 6 PM. Then he’d wake up and do it all over again the next day.
I tried everything I could think of. Vaseline didn’t work. The handkerchiefs around his face under his hat didn’t work. Nothing seemed to work on the chemical burns pitch tar creates when it contacts unprotected skin. It wasn’t just uncomfortable, it crusted, peeled, and mimicked sun poisoning, complete with fever-like symptoms.
Over time I started to figure out what actually works.
The Remedies That Actually Worked
For Pitch Tar Burns and Skin Irritation
The first breakthrough we had came from an unexpected source: our daughter’s diaper rash cream.
When our daughter Mallory was a baby, we used Desitin for her diaper rash. One particularly bad day, I looked at Robbie’s chemical burns and thought, “why not?”. Shockingly, it worked! The zinc oxide in diaper rash cream created a protective barrier in ways generic lotions never had before.
Now it’s a staple for our team and in all our work trucks. Before pitch tar job exposure all our guys apply first thing in the morning for that protective barrier, to prevent the skin irritation, Desitin has become our go-to to ensure the RTG team stays safe and comfortable.
For Fiberglass Exposure
If you’ve never worked around insulation, you might not know this, but fiberglass doesn’t just make you itchy. The microscopic shards embed in your skin, and when you get in the shower, the hot water opens your pores and it burns.
I learned this one the hard way myself. I showed up to a job site once in ripped jeans and boots (after getting in trouble the first time for wearing the wrong pants). Fiberglass from insulation got everywhere. That next shower taught me why roofers complain about this specific kind of misery.
The remedy? Scrubbing with a natural grown loofah before the shower.
I used to grow my own loofas. Robbie would scrub down with a dry loofah first to physically pull the fiberglass off the skin before getting wet. It’s not glamorous, but it works.
For Dehydration and Heat Exhaustion
Energy drinks might seem like the logical choice when you’re pushing hard in extreme heat, but here’s why they actually backfire.
When you’re working in 90-degree weather doing physically demanding labor, reaching for Celsius, Monster, or Red Bull makes sense. You need energy, you’re losing it fast, so you grab something designed to boost it. The problem is that these drinks are loaded with caffeine and sugar, which actually increase the amount of water your body needs to process them. When you’re already losing fluids in extreme heat, you’re creating a dehydration problem, not solving one. The more of these you drink, the greater the dehydrating effect.
Spring water is your best option. Not because it’s boring, but because it’s what actually works.
OSHA recommends drinking about 1 cup of cool water every 15-20 minutes while working in heat. This is the standard for keeping your body functioning safely during physically demanding work.
What we found that works:
- Cool or cold water works best when you need to cool your body down or stay alert, but room-temperature water is actually absorbed faster by your body when you’re trying to rehydrate.
- Electrolyte powder: Sqwincher Zero Qwik Stik (sugar-free electrolyte mix). You’ll see this at almost every construction site for a reason. When you’re sweating heavily, especially during pitch tar jobs in summer heat, plain water alone isn’t enough. You’re losing electrolytes along with the sweat. Sqwincher replaces what your body is actually losing. It works by helping roofers who have been working in the sun all day replenish electrolytes like sodium and potassium without the sugar crash.
A note on dairy:
Milk isn’t bad. But it’s not your primary hydration source on the job. If you bring milk for lunch, that’s fine, but don’t count it as part of your hydration strategy. Your body needs water for heat regulation and electrolyte absorption. Milk is food, not a replacement for water when you’re trying to stay hydrated in extreme conditions.
Pitch tar jobs in summer heat create symptoms that mimic sun poisoning: fever, chills, complete depletion. Your body is fighting a chemical exposure while losing fluids. Proper hydration with water and electrolytes isn’t optional at RTG. We focus on proper hydration because we have seen firsthand the difference it can make on our roofers’ efficiency, their energy, and their safety.
What Roofers Get Wrong About Recovery
The biggest mistake I see is roofers treating recovery as optional.
Roofers are tough. They push through pain, work hard in rain or shine, and show up every day ready to handle the difficult work needed to build the roofs necessary to protect our community. That mentality keeps projects on schedule and allows our community to grow, but it can also lead to long-term damage that didn’t have to happen.
You wouldn’t skip oil changes on your truck and expect it to run forever. Your body is no different. Without taking the time to properly focus on recovery, the wear and tear that the job takes on your body can catch up to you and impact your ability to work safely and effectively.
Here are some simple preventative measures you can take that will not only aid in your long-term recovery, but also help you avoid doing unnecessary harm to your body.
Before the Workday Starts
Ergonomic stretching. Not gym stretching, but functional stretching for the specific movements roofers make all day. Shoulders, lower back, knees, ankles. Five minutes before you start can help prevent injuries that sideline you for weeks.
Avoid sudden heavy movements, especially first thing in the morning. Your body isn’t warmed up yet. Jerking around a roll of rubber or bucket of sealer before you’ve been moving is how backs get thrown out.
Cold Weather Work
Winter roofing creates entirely different challenges.
PPE is non-negotiable:
- Layered clothing (not cotton because it holds moisture and makes you colder)
- Insulated, waterproof gloves
- Slip-resistant boots with ice grips or shoe springs to prevent falls on icy surfaces
Material handling changes in winter. Ice makes everything slippery! This includes tarps, roofing materials, and day-to-day tools used while on the roofs. Secure everything. Use the buddy system. Watch your footing.
Walk like a penguin. Seriously. Short steps, feet flat, weight centered. It looks silly. It also prevents falling off a roof.
Wind is the enemy. Winter is windier, and wind chill accelerates hypothermia. Secure loose materials, watch for gusts, and never turn your back to the wind when you’re near an edge.
What I’d Tell Another Roofer’s Spouse
You need patience.
That’s the advice I’d give to any partner of someone in the trades.
They’re going to come home exhausted. They’re going to be sore, sunburned, chemically burned, or frozen depending on the season. They’re going to smell like tar or insulation or sweat.
Your patience, and your willingness to figure out what helps, matters more than you realize.
When Robbie was coming home at 6 PM and collapsing into bed, it would have been easy to be frustrated. Instead, I started problem-solving. What helps the burns heal faster? What actually hydrates him? What prevents the worst of it tomorrow?
That’s not just being a supportive partner. It’s recognizing that the person you love is doing hard, physical work that takes a toll, and that small remedies can make a meaningful difference.
Remedies Passed Down Through Crews
Some of this knowledge comes from family. Some of it we figured out ourselves through trial and error. But a lot of it comes from other roofers.
The Sqwincher electrolyte powder? That’s job-site wisdom. We see it everywhere because crews have shared what works.
The loofah trick for fiberglass? Robbie learned that from another roofer years ago.
The “walk like a penguin” advice for icy roofs? That’s safety training that gets passed crew to crew because it prevents falls and makes everyone safer.
There’s a culture of knowledge-sharing in the trades that doesn’t get talked about enough. Roofers teach each other how to stay safe, recover faster, and take care of their bodies because nobody understands the importance of safety and recovery more than another roofer.
Why These Roofing Tips Matter
Roofing is one of the most physically demanding jobs in the world of construction. The injury rate is high and there is long-term wear on joints, skin, and overall health. This job can easily impact the day-to-day lives of not only a roofer, but their family as well.
We’ve learned that small, consistent remedies can significantly reduce the physical toll.
Small remedies (practiced consistently) make a measurable difference:
- Proper hydration prevents heat exhaustion
- Barrier creams prevent chemical burns
- Stretching prevents injuries
- The right PPE prevents frostbite and falls
At RTG Solutions, we care about our team. At the end of every work day, we want our crews to go back home feeling happy, healthy, and ready to spend time with the people in their lives who matter the most. We achieve this goal by openly talking about the physical toll that the job can take, sharing what actually works, and creating a culture where taking care of yourself isn’t seen as soft but as smart.
We know from experience that a roofer who takes care of their body today is a roofer who can still work in 20 years. And that matters to them, to their families, and to the industry.
The Remedies for Roofing Problems at a Glance
For Chemical Burns (Pitch Tar)
- Desitin (or any zinc oxide diaper rash cream)
- Apply before exposure as a barrier
For Fiberglass Exposure
- Dry loofah scrub before showering
- Removes fiberglass shards before water embeds them further
For Hydration
- Room-temperature water or ice-cold water
- Sqwincher Zero electrolyte powder (sugar-free)
- Avoid energy drinks
For Prevention
- Ergonomic stretching before work
- Proper cold-weather PPE (layers, gloves, ice grips)
- Walk like a penguin on icy surfaces
- Buddy system in high-wind or winter conditions
Final Thoughts
I didn’t expect to become the person in our household who knows how to treat chemical burns or which electrolyte powder actually works.
But that’s what happens when you love someone who does hard work for a living. You figure it out. You try things. You learn what helps.
And then, you get to share that knowledge with others who need it.
That’s what this is: years of trial and error, passed forward. Use what helps. Share what works. Take care of the people doing the work.
Have questions about roofer health and safety, or want to learn more about how RTG prioritizes crew welfare?
About the Author
Sarah Getz is the President of RTG Solutions, a woman-owned, veteran-operated commercial roofing company serving Central Pennsylvania. Under her leadership, RTG has built a reputation for quality service, community commitment, and a team-first approach to every project.
