Protecting Workers in Cold Weather Is a Job Responsibility for Everyone
Worker safety should always be the top priority on a job site, regardless of the temperature outside. Extreme cold, like extreme heat, can be equally dangerous for workers, but OSHA and other groups take cold weather more seriously, perhaps due to the feeling that working in the cold is more uncomfortable.
Experts point to fingers and hands which aren’t as nimble in the bitter cold. And although workers might sweat in warmer weather, they don’t see and feel the signs of heat exhaustion or heat stroke as readily as they do cold stress. Therefore, the first line of defense with employees on jobsites is to wear suitable and fitting clothing, literally.
There’s an expression popular among Norwegians: There’s no such thing as bad weather, there’s only inappropriate clothing. With that, employees must take note: wear winter hats, high-visibility jackets, work gloves and rain gear as the weather warrants.
Other safeguards are to make sure to protect the ears, face, hands and feet. Boots, too, should be waterproof and insulated. Wearing a hat cannot be overstressed: hats reduce body heat escaping from your head. And move into warm locations during breaks.
OSHA has prepared a guide to prevent slips and falls caused by icy, wet conditions, as well as for the prevention of winter-related injuries due to cold stress, such as frostbite and hypothermia.
Employers, too, can take action to protect workers from cold stress. When possible, begin by scheduling cold jobs for warmer months or the warmer part of the day. A fallback would be to use relief workers or assign extra workers for long jobs.
Other actions would be to provide warm liquids to workers and provide warm areas for use during breaks. Limiting the amount of time outside on extremely cold days and monitoring workers who are at risk of cold stress are also advised.
And finally, employers should provide cold stress training that includes information about worker risk, prevention and symptoms.