Working Safely in Cold Weather

 

Let me begin with one question. What do you think is the besy way to protect yourself from cold injuries in extreme cold weather? In my opinion, not working outdoors in cold weather is the safest way. If working outdoors is inevitable, you need to minimize exposure to extremely cold terperatures by ensuring job rotation, wearing proper winter PPE, etc.

 

The Effect of Working in Cold Weather

Working in cold weather can lead to frostbite, hypothermia, and potentially death. Even if it doesn't lead to cold injuries like those, cold temperatures can reduce your mental alertness and manual dexterity. So, it can lead us to hazardous situations. That’s the reason why we should be more careful when working in cold weather especially when we are working with dangerous equipment.

Winter in Canada. Source: https://www.goodfon.com/city/wallpaper-canada-quebec-kanada-kvebek.html

 

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for Winter

Winter PPE is very important to protect ourselves from cold weather. But, how to wear 'proper' winter PPE? Here are some general tips for proper winter PPE.

 

[General Tips]

• Wear several layers of clothing rather than one thick layer. Layering provides better insulation.
• Keep your skin dry. Cotton material is not recommended. It tends to get damp or wet quickly and loses its insulating properties. In contrast, wool and synthetic fibers such as polyester or polypropylene do retain heat when wet.
• Don’t wear so tight clothing because it reduces blood circulation and restricts your movements. Both can lead to hazardous situations.

The general tips above are kind of general principles in terms of preparing proper winter PPE. Now, let's learn about PPE for each part of our bodies.

 

[Head]

• Wear hats and hoods to prevent heat loss from the head and to protect the ears. I was surprised to know that 40% of body heat loss occurs from an uncovered head.
• Though it’s important to keep your head warm, you also have to ensure your hard hat is still protecting you. If you’re wearing a hat or hood under the hard hat, make sure it won’t allow your hard hat to slide off. Some hoods or “hoodies” can also block your view to the side. So, it may be safer to wear a winter hard hat liner.

[Face and eyes]

• In extremely cold conditions, wear face protection.
• Appropriate eye protection is also required for protection against ultraviolet light from the sun, glare from the snow, blowing snow/ice crystals, and high winds at cold temperatures.

[Upper and lower body]

• Sweat can make our clothing damp or wet. To avoid this, the key is to keep our skin dry by wearing underwear with polyester or polypropylene material. Please avoid cotton.
• The next layer should be something warm such as a sweatshirt and fleece.
• The final upper body layer must be waterproof. A Gore-Tex or a nylon material is a good example.
• The same rules apply to the lower body as well.

[Hands]

• The best gloves are waterproof but breathable gloves, so your hands don't get wet and cold.
• Leather gloves are not too bad if you can keep them dry on the outside but once they get wet, they will quickly become uncomfortable. So, it’s ideal to carry extra gloves.

[Foot]

• Keeping our feet dry is also important so waterproof but breathable footwear is recommended. Leather-topped boots can allow the perspiration to evaporate.
• However, if work involves standing in water or slush, then waterproof boots like a rubber boot must be worn. The problem with this waterproof boot is that it prevents perspiration to escape so it’s recommended to carry extra socks in case the socks get damp or wet.
• Liner socks made from polypropylene will help keep the feet dry.

Source: https://www.goodfon.com/city/wallpaper-canada-quebec-kanada-kvebek.html

 

Cold Injuries Prevention Tips

I hope you become more confident in wearing winter PPE from now on. Here are some cold injuries prevention tips you need to keep in mind aside from winter PPE. 

• Check the ‘wind chill’ temperature from the weather forecast. The wind makes the weather super colder in Canada.
• Avoid touching cold metal surfaces with bare skin.
• Monitor your physical condition and that of your coworkers. So, it's important to work in a team, not alone.
• Carry cold weather gear, such as extra socks, gloves, hats, jacket, blankets, a change of clothes and a thermos of hot liquid.
• In cold weather like 3°C (37.4°F) or less, workers whose clothing gets wet for any reason must immediately change their clothing.
• Balanced meals and adequate liquid intake are essential to maintain body heat and prevent dehydration. Drink fluids often, especially when doing hard work. Working in the cold requires more energy than in warm weather because the body is working to keep the body warm.

Wait, here is a pop-up quiz. Which one is the best option for drinking to keep our body warm?

a. Wine

b. Hot caffeinated drinks

c. Hot non-alcoholic beverages

 

The answer is c. For warming purposes, hot non-alcoholic beverages or soup are suggested. Alcohol and caffeinated drinks increase the loss of body heat.

 

 

<Reference>

Landscape Ontario, GROW Training Program: “Winter PPE”

Landscape Ontario, Workplace Safety Tailgate Talks for the Landscaping Industry

Greenius, “Working in Cold Weather”