Cold Weather Safety. Summary. Cold Weather Safety. Why Worry About Cold? Why Worry About Working in Cold?

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1 Cold Weather Safety Summary Extreme cold is potentially hazardous to your health. You can learn to work and live in cold environments, provided you have adequate clothing and access to warm shelter. You must wear sufficient clothing, including face protection, gloves and foot wear. Loose multi-layered clothing provides the best protection, because air trapped between layers of clothing provides additional thermal insulation. Hypothermia and frostbite are two major health hazards of cold exposure. Hypothermia is the lowering of body temperature due to excessive loss of body heat. Hypothermia can be fatal unless the victim is moved to a warm shelter and receives timely medical attention. Hypothermia victims are unable to recognize their own signs and symptoms of hypothermia. Their survival depends on co-workers ability to do so. As a precaution, you should not work alone in cold extremes. Use the "buddy system" to detect signs of cold injury in coworkers. Frostbite is the freezing of extremities such as fingers, nose tip, toes, ears and cheeks, which become numb and hard. Because of poor blood supply, these extremities may become frostbitten even if the rest of the body remains warm or even overheated. Frostbitten parts should be placed against warm body surfaces and re-warmed. Cold Weather Safety Working in cold weather could be dangerous to the untrained, and to people without adequate winter clothing. For a well informed and prepared worker, winter work can be enjoyable and fulfilling. To cope with winter, stay active, dress warmly and follow safety rules. Why Worry About Cold? A cold environment takes away body heat. Too much heat loss can cause lowering of the inner body temperature to dangerously low levels causing hypothermia. Exposed body parts may freeze in extreme cold, causing frostbite. Loss of body heat (hypothermia) and frostbite(freezing of body tissue) can present serious danger to health and can be life threatening. Cold air is dry air and can cause dry skin and loss of body fluid. If you have arthritis or rheumatism, cold weather can create more pain problems for you. Prolonged exposure to moderate cold and dampness can result in other types of injuries. Working in cold environments increases the risk of back injuries and other musculoskeletal injuries. Perform warm up stretching exercises before handling heavy equipment and material. Why Worry About Working in Cold? You must wear winter clothing, head protection, gloves and boots while working in the cold, all of which restrict movement. Cold affects dexterity, affecting skill and ease of using the hands. Extremely cold conditions adversely affect mental skills and coordination. The mobility of fingers slows down, which affects task performance; Cold affects grip force, and the skin's ability to sense temperature and pain. Cold exposure reduces muscle power and time to exhaustion. Don't overexert.

2 Special care is needed while using ladders or working on elevated platforms in snow and icy conditions. Power tools and equipment need special care to be operational in a cold environment. Cold tool handles reduce grip force. Cold exposure aggravates vibration induced white finger disease (Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome) making manual work painful. Blizzards can produce extremely cold conditions and endanger lives within minutes, seek shelter immediately. How Cold Is It Out There? Air temperature is not the only measure of cold. Wind makes it colder. Brisk winds and cold temperatures combine to make it dangerously cold. Exposed human flesh freezes within one minute at -29 C(-20 F) when wind speed is 8 km/h (5 mph). When the wind speed increases to 32 km/h (20 mph) human flesh will freeze at -12 C (+10 F). These instances are applicable if your clothes and skin are dry. When you are wet, cold injury can result at much higher (less cold) temperatures. Top 10 Cold Weather Precautions 1. Wear three layers of clothing and always layer to protect the head, hands and feet. 2. Drink plenty of fluids, preferably warm, sweet beverages. Cold weather suppresses thirst, and dehydration can occur without proper fluid intake. 3. Increase caloric intake. Working in heavy protective clothing expends more heat, so 10-15% more calories are required. 4. Take periodic breaks to warm up, with additional breaks as wind velocity increases or the temperature drops. 5. Avoid alcohol, nicotine, caffeine and medications that inhibit the body's response to cold or impair judgment. 6. Avoid the cold if you are becoming exhausted or immobilized, conditions that can accelerate the effects of cold weather. 7. Shield work areas from drafty or windy conditions. Seek a heated shelter if you have prolonged exposure to a wind chill of 20 degrees or less. 8. Work during the warmest hours of the day and minimize activities that decrease circulation. 9. Learn the symptoms of cold-related stresses: heavy shivering, uncomfortable coldness, severe fatigue, drowsiness and euphoria. 10. Work in pairs so partners can monitor one another and obtain help quickly in an emergency. Hypothermia When exposed to cold temperatures, your body begins to lose heat faster than it can be produced. Prolonged exposure to cold will eventually use up your body's stored energy. The result is hypothermia, or abnormally low body temperature. Body temperature that is too low affects the brain, making the victim unable to think clearly or move well. This makes hypothermia particularly dangerous because a person may not know it is happening and won't be able to do anything about it. Hypothermia is most likely at very cold temperatures, but can occur even at cool temperatures (above 40 F) if a person becomes chilled from rain, sweat, or submersion in cold water.

3 Victims of hypothermia are most often (1) elderly people with inadequate food, clothing, or heating; (2) babies sleeping in cold bedrooms; and (3) people who remain outdoors for long periods - the homeless, hikers, hunters, etc. Recognizing Hypothermia Warnings signs Adults: shivering / exhaustion confusion / fumbling hands memory loss / slurred speech drowsiness Infants: bright red, cold skin very low energy What to Do * If you notice any of these signs, take the person's temperature. If it is below 95, the situation is an emergency - get medical attention immediately. If medical care is not available, begin warming the person, as follows: Get the victim into a warm room or shelter. If the victim has on any wet clothing, remove it. Warm the center of the body first - chest, neck, head, and groin - using an electric blanket, if available. Or use skin-to-skin contact under loose, dry layers of blankets, clothing, towels, or sheets. Warm beverages can help increase the body temperature, but do not give alcoholic beverages. Do not try to give beverages to an unconscious person. After body temperature has increased, keep the person dry and wrapped in a warm blanket, including the head and neck. Get medical attention as soon as possible. A person with severe hypothermia may be unconscious and may not seem to have a pulse or to be breathing. In this case, handle the victim gently, and get emergency assistance immediately. Even if the victim appears dead, CPR should be provided. CPR should continue while the victim is being warmed, until the victim responds or medical aid becomes available. In some cases, hypothermia victims who appear to be dead can be successfully resuscitated. Preventing Hypothermia Wear layers of loose clothing. Cover your head and neck. Stay dry. If your clothes get wet, change them as soon as possible. Dry wet hair with a hair dryer immediately. Bundle up when you go to bed. Use extra blankets, wear a nightcap, long underwear and socks. Consume nourishing meals and warm drinks to help keep your body warm. Avoid alcohol and caffeine. Stay in touch with friends, family members and neighbors during cold weather. If you're an older adult, ask someone to call you regularly.

4 Frostbite Frostbite is an injury to the body that is caused by freezing. Frostbite causes a loss of feeling and color in affected areas. It most often affects the nose, ears, cheeks, chin, fingers, or toes. Frostbite can permanently damage the body, and severe cases can lead to amputation. The risk of frostbite is increased in people with reduced blood circulation and among people who are not dressed properly for extremely cold temperatures. Recognizing Frostbite At the first signs of redness or pain in any skin area, get out of the cold or protect any exposed skin - frostbite may be beginning. Any of the following signs may indicate frostbite: A white or grayish-yellow skin area Skin that feels unusually firm or waxy Numbness A victim is often unaware of frostbite until someone else points it out because the frozen tissues are numb. What to Do * If you detect symptoms of frostbite, seek medical care. Because frostbite and hypothermia both result from exposure, first determine whether the victim also shows signs of hypothermia, as described previously. Hypothermia is a more serious medical condition and requires emergency medical assistance. If there is frostbite and no sign of hypothermia, and immediate medical care is not available, proceed as follows: Get into a warm room as soon as possible. Unless absolutely necessary, do not walk on frostbitten feet or toes - this increases the damage. Immerse the affected area in warm - not hot - water (the temperature should be comfortable to the touch for unaffected parts of the body). Or, warm the affected area using body heat. For example, the heat of an armpit can be used to warm frostbitten fingers. Do not rub the frostbitten area with snow or massage it at all. This can cause more damage. Don't use a heating pad, heat lamp, or the heat of a stove, fireplace, or radiator for warming. Affected areas are numb and can be easily burned. Prevention of Frostbite Avoid direct skin contact with metal and fluids. When outdoors, use vehicles and structures as windbreakers or shelters to protect you from extreme temperatures. Wear mittens instead of gloves. Mittens are warmer because they allow your fingers to warm one another. Wear layers of clothing and multiple pairs of socks. Avoid tight-fitting clothing, especially on the hands and feet. Cover your head, face and neck. Stay dry especially your hands and feet.

5 *These procedures are not substitutes for proper medical care. Hypothermia is a medical emergency and frostbite should be evaluated by a health care provider. It is a good idea to take a first aid and emergency resuscitation (CPR) course to prepare for cold-weather health problems. Knowing what to do is an important part of protecting your health and the health of others.