Cold Stress at Work
Published on Nov 24, 2015
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Train employees for the cold and signs and symptoms of hypothermia.
Employees need to be trained and or refreshed about the effects of cold stress and the signs and symptoms of Hypothermia.
Those signs are:
Those signs are:
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Signs and symptoms of hypothermia:
- Cool skin
- slower, irregular breathing
- slower hearbeat
- uncontrolable shivering
- memory lapses
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- severe shaking
- ridgid muscles
- drowsiness
- exhaustion
- slurred speech
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Frostbite:
- paleness of the skin
- sensation of coldness or pain
- pain dissapears after a while with the freezing of tissues
- tissues become increasingly whiter and harder
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Chilblains
Exposure to temps just above freezing to 60F
Use a buddy system
Monitor yours and your coworkers condition.
Sure you may want to be left to yourself while working, but when its freezing or below outside its not the time to enjoy solitude while accomplishing tasks outdoors. You don't want to be working one minute and thawing your fingers the next. Get a partner and work on monitoring each other for cold stress. Most of the time it is just too difficult to determine the danger signs when you only have yourself to rely on.
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Adjust your work schedule or tasks to the cold or changing weather
Don't punish yourself too much.Just because it feels like you are walking into a walk-in freezer doesn't mean you have to bask in it all day. Try to schedule working out side during the warmest part of the day and take frequent short breaks in warm vehicles or shelters.
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Avoid wearing tight boots, your boots should allow for one thick pair, or two pairs of thin socks
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Eat or Drink
Hot or warm foods or liquids
You may think of coffee when you think of a warm beverage. But coffee tends to dehydrate you, so try and limit your caffine intake while working out in the cold. Instead try warm cider or other sugary warm beverages. Also since you are at a higher risk for dehydration in cold weather, remember to drink up.
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Wear eye protection in snowy glaring conditions
Ice or snow = excessive violet rays = eye damage. Before working outside check if you may be exsposed to glare or even worse, blowing ice crystals. If conditions point to yes, wear some sunglasses or tinted safety glasses.
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