Protecting Your Workers: What You Need to Know About Cold Stress

Every year, hypothermia and other cold-related ailments cause nearly 25,000 deaths in the US. The cold weather is often not taken as seriously as it should be by those who work outside.

If you run a company that has workers in extremely low temperatures, then you need to know everything you can about cold stress and how to prevent it.

Keeping your workers warm is crucial to running a safe and effective company that keeps on top of all its compliance needs.

Let's take a look at everything you need to know.

When Is It Too Cold?

The truth is, there is no magic temperature that it can reach outside when it officially becomes "too cold". How cold is too cold depends on the work that is being done and for how long.

Generally speaking though, when temperatures are at or very near freezing, they are considered "extreme cold". Extreme cold temperatures force your body to work harder to do simple tasks as most of your energy is being used to keep warm.

There are plenty of different ways that heat can be stolen from your body. If you're trying to keep track of the temperature, then you should also make sure to consider the wind chill.

Wind chill can make an already cold temperature feel even colder. Advanced weather forecasts will be able to tell you what the air temperature is, and then tell you what the temperature "feels like" with wind chill taken into account.

This "feels like" temperature is what you should use to assess whether it's too cold outside for your workers. Cold stress is what happens when a worker's skin temperature begins to affect their internal core temperature.

What Happens to the Body in Cold Temperatures?

Very cold weather has an energy-sapping effect on the human body. Instead of your energy stores being used to help you carry out your job, it is instead used by your body to help keep the blood pumping and to keep you warm.

If your body cannot keep itself warm by using its energy stores, then it will gradually begin to shut down. Vital organs will start to limit their function so as to preserve as much energy as possible.

Severe cold stress can lead to serious health complications, and if left unattended, can even lead to death.

Ailments Caused by the Cold

Prolonged exposure to serious cold weather can cause a variety of issues and ailments in the body. We're going to take a look at two of the most common and serious conditions caused by the cold.

Hypothermia

Put simply, hypothermia occurs when the body loses heat at a faster rate than it can replace it, causing the body's internal temperature to drop below 95 degrees. Hypothermia is most likely to occur at very low temperatures, but it can still occur even at temperatures above 40 degrees.

Symptoms of hypothermia include:

• Loss of coordination
• Exhaustion
• Shivering
• Slurred speech
• Drowsiness
• Memory loss

If left untreated, hypothermia can lead to death. If a worker seems to be suffering from severe hypothermia, you should move the person to a warm, dry area and call 911 straight away.

Frostbite

Frostbite is an injury that causes the deterioration of skin and underlying tissue to appendages that are exposed to extreme cold. Frostbite essentially freezes the cells in your skin and tissue and causes the appendage to turn black and rot.

Symptoms of frostbite include:

• Reddened skin developing white or black patches
• Numbness in the affected area
• Severe blisters can occur

If you notice a worker with signs of frostbite, you should follow the steps for dealing with hypothermia outlined above. One important thing to remember is to never rub the affected area in an attempt to warm it up. This can cause further damage to the area.

If frostbite is severe, amputation may be the only treatment option available.

Preventing Cold Stress

Having the right clothing and equipment can be the key to staying warm in the cold. A useful way to do this is by layering. It's a very simple but effective way to keep warm and is used by hikers and mountaineers all the time to avoid getting caught out in cold weather.

Start with a base layer, preferably made of a material like wool that can wick the sweat away from the skin. Next throw on a comfortable mid-layer like a long sleeve shirt. In extreme temperatures, a secondary mid-layer like a fleece works great.

Finally, throw on your outer layer, which should ideally be waterproof to help keep you dry. Layers should be easy to take on and off should you need to strip a layer or add one. Hats and gloves are also highly recommended.

A really important thing to keep in mind is to limit the amount that you sweat. Sweat adds moisture to the skin and can make you feel even colder. You need to find a sweet spot when it comes to your layering.

Aside from providing the right clothing and equipment, you should make sure that your workers are properly trained in how to deal with the cold and its associated risks.

Make sure everyone knows what to do if a colleague is showing signs of cold stress, and make sure that your staff is confident that they can handle working in such conditions.

Stay on Top of Safety

Cold stress should never be taken lightly. Cold weather can seriously affect anybody no matter the condition that they're in. Exposure to severe cold weather can cause serious ill health or even death.

Staying on top of the mountains of safety regulations out there can be hard, but it's an important thing that you need to do as a business owner. If you need any help keeping up with it all, or just improving your compliance, then speak to us today at Compliance Training Online.

We can help you keep your workers, and your company, safe.