GUIDELINES FOR WORKING IN COLD WEATHER

Introduction
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.
This guideline is intended to assist management, workers and other workplace parties at
York University by providing information on the health effects of working in cold
weather, exposure limits and personal protective equipment etc. so that appropriate
measures can be taken to protect workers.
Legal Requirements
Employers have a duty under section 25(2)(h) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act
to take every precaution reasonable in the circumstances for the protection of a worker.
This includes developing proper policies and procedures to protect workers working in
cold environments.
Cold Can Affect Work Performance
Uncomfortably cold working conditions can lead to lower work efficiency and higher
accident rates. Cold impairs the performance of complex mental tasks. Manual tasks are
also impaired because the sensitivity and dexterity of fingers are reduced in the cold. At
even lower temperatures, the cold affects the deeper muscles resulting in reduced
muscular strength and stiffened joints. Mental alertness is reduced due to cold-related
discomfort. For all these reasons accidents are more likely to occur in very cold working
conditions.
Health Effects of Exposure to Cold
Cooling of body parts may result in various cold injuries, which are grouped in nonfreezing and freezing injuries. Toes, fingers, ears and nose are at greatest risk because
these areas do not have major muscles to produce heat. If the eyes are not protected with
goggles in high wind chill conditions, the corneas of the eyes may freeze.
Examples of 'Non-freezing' Cold Injuries:
Non-freezing cold injuries include chilblain, immersion foot and trenchfoot.
Chilblains are a mild cold injury caused by prolonged and repeated exposure for several
hours to air temperatures from above freezing (0C or 32F) to as high as 16C (or about
60F). In the affected skin area there will be redness, swelling, tingling, and pain.
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Immersion foot occurs in individuals whose feet have been wet, but not freezing cold,
for days or weeks. It can occur at temperatures up to 10C (50F). The primary injury is
to nerve and muscle tissue. Symptoms include tingling and numbness; itching, pain,
swelling of the legs, feet, or hands; or blisters may develop. The skin may be red initially
and turn to blue or purple as the injury progresses. In severe cases, gangrene may
develop.
Trenchfoot is "wet cold disease" resulting from prolonged exposure in a damp or wet
environment from above the freezing point to about 10C (50F). Depending on the
temperature, an onset of symptoms may range from several hours to many days but the
average is three days. Trenchfoot is more likely to occur at lower temperatures whereas
an immersion foot is more likely to occur at higher temperatures and longer exposure
times. Symptoms are similar to an immersion foot.
Examples of 'Freezing' Injuries:
Frostnip, frostbite, and hypothermia, which is the most serious, are freezing injuries.
Frostnip is the mildest form of a freezing cold injury. It occurs when ear lobes, noses,
cheeks, fingers, or toes are exposed to the cold and the top layers of a skin freeze. The
skin of the affected area turns white and it may feel numb. The top layer of skin feels
hard but the deeper tissue still feels normal (soft). Frostnip can be prevented by wearing
warm clothing and foot wear. It is treated by gentle rewarming (e.g., holding the affected
tissue next to unaffected skin of the victim or of another person).
As for all cold-induced injuries, never rub the affected parts - ice crystals in the tissue
could cause damage if the skin is rubbed. Do not use very hot objects such as hot water
bottles to rewarm the area or person.
Frostbite is a common injury caused by exposure to extreme cold or by contact with
extremely cold objects (especially those made of metal). Frostbite occurs when tissue
temperature falls below the freezing point (0C/32F), or when blood flow is obstructed.
Blood vessels may be severely and permanently damaged, and blood circulation may stop
in the affected tissue. In mild cases, the symptoms include inflammation of the skin in
patches accompanied by slight pain. In severe cases, there could be tissue damage
without pain, or there could be burning or prickling sensations resulting in blisters.
Frostbitten skin is highly susceptible to infection, and gangrene (local death of soft
tissues due to loss of blood supply) may develop.
Hypothermia
The most severe cold injury is hypothermia which occurs from excessive loss of body
heat and the consequent lowering of the inner core temperature (internal temperature of
the body). Hypothermia can be fatal.
Refer to the table below on the stages of hypothermia and respective symptoms:
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Signs of hypothermia:
Stage

Mild
Hypothermia

Moderate
Hypothermia

Severe
Hypothermia

Core
Temperature

Signs & Symptoms

37.2-36.1C
(99 - 97F)

Normal, shivering may begin.

36.1-35C
(97 - 95F)

Cold sensation, goose bumps, unable to perform complex tasks with

hands, shivering can be mild to severe, hands numb.

35-33.9C
(95 - 93F)

Shivering, intense, muscles incoordination becomes apparent,

movements slow and laboured, stumbling pace, mild confusion,
may appear alert. Use sobriety test, if unable to walk a 9 meter (30
foot) straight line, the person is hypothermic.

33.9-32.2C
(93 - 90F)

Violent shivering persists, difficulty speaking, sluggish thinking,

amnesia starts to appear, gross muscle movements sluggish, unable
to use hands, stumbles frequently, difficulty speaking, signs of
depression, withdrawn.

32.2-30C
(90 - 86F)

Shivering stops, exposed skin blue of puffy, muscle coordination

very poor, inability to walk, confusion, incoherent/irrational
behaviour, but may be able to maintain posture and appearance of
awareness

30-27.8C
(86 - 82F)

Muscle rigidity, semiconscious, stupor, loss of awareness of others,

pulse and respiration rate decrease, possible heart fibrillation.

27.8-25.6C
(82 - 78F)

Unconscious, a heart beat and respiration erratic, a pulse may not be

obvious.

25.6-23.9C
(78 - 75F)

Pulmonary edema, cardiac and respiratory failure, death. Death may

occur before this temperature is reached.

Exposure Limits for Working in the Cold

There are no exposure limits for work in cold weather. The Canadian jurisdictions refer
to the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH), which has
adopted the guidelines developed by the Saskatchewan Labour for working outdoors in
cold weather conditions.
These guidelines recommend protective clothing and limits on exposure time. The
recommended exposure times are based on the wind chill factor, a scale based on air
temperature and wind speed. The work-break schedule applies to any four-hour period
with moderate or heavy activity. The warm-up break periods are of 10 minute duration in
a warm location. The schedule assumes that "normal breaks" are taken once every two
hours. At the end of a 4-hour period, an extended break (e.g. lunch break) in a warm
location is recommended. See table below for details:

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.
*Source: Adapted from Threshold Limit Values (TLV) and Biological Exposure Indices (BEI) booklet:
published by ACGIH, Cincinnati, Ohio, 2008.

Prevention of the Adverse Effects of Cold

For continuous work in temperatures below the freezing point, heated warming shelters
such as tents, cabins or rest rooms should be available. The work should be paced to
avoid excessive sweating. If such work is necessary, proper rest periods in a warm area
should be allowed and employees should change into dry clothes. New employees should
be given enough time to get acclimatized to cold and protective clothing before assuming
a full work load.
The risk of cold injury can be minimized by proper equipment design, safe work
practices and appropriate clothing. The following is a summary of actions including some
from recommendations from the ACGIH (American Conference of Governmental
Industrial Hygienists).
Equipment Design
For work below the freezing point, metal handles and bars should be covered by thermal
insulating material. Also, machines and tools should be designed so that they can be
operated without having to remove mittens or gloves.

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Surveillance and Monitoring

Every workplace where the temperature may fall below 16C should be equipped with a
suitable thermometer to monitor any further temperature changes. For colder workplaces
with temperatures below the freezing point, the temperature should be monitored at least
every 4 hours. If the air temperature is below the freezing point, both air temperature and
wind speed should be recorded.
Emergency Procedures
Procedures for providing first aid and obtaining medical care should be clearly outlined.
For each shift, at least one trained person should be assigned the responsibility of
attending to emergencies.
Education
Workers and supervisors involved with work in cold environments should be informed
about symptoms of adverse effect exposure to cold, proper clothing habits, safe work
practices, physical fitness requirements for work in cold, and emergency procedures in
case of cold injury. While working in cold, a buddy system should be used. Look out for
one another and be alert for the symptoms of hypothermia.
Personal protective equipment (PPE) for working in the cold
Clothing
Protective clothing is needed for work at or below 4C. Clothing should be selected to
suit the temperature, weather conditions (e.g., wind speed, rain), the level and duration of
activity, and job design. If the work pace is too fast or if the type and amount of clothing
are not properly selected, excessive sweating may occur and the insulation of the clothing
will decrease dramatically. This increases the risk for cold injuries.

Clothing should be worn in multiple layers which provide better protection than a
single thick garment. The air between layers of clothing provides better insulation
than the clothing itself.
The inner layer should provide insulation and be able to "wick" moisture away
from the skin to help keep it dry. Thermal underwear made from polyesters or
polypropylene is suitable for this purpose.
The additional layers of clothing should provide adequate insulation for the
weather conditions under which the work being done. They should also be easy to
open or remove before you get too warm to prevent excessive sweating during
strenuous activity.
For work in wet conditions, the outer layer of clothing should be waterproof. If the
work area cannot be shielded against wind, an easily removable windbreak garment
should be used.

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Almost 50 percent of body heat is lost through the head. A wool knit cap or a liner
under a hard hat can reduce excessive heat loss.
Clothing should be kept clean since dirt fills air cells in fibres of clothing and
destroys its insulating ability.
Clothing must be dry. Moisture should be kept off clothes by removing snow prior
to entering heated shelters. While the worker is resting in a heated area,
perspiration should be allowed to escape by opening the neck, waist, sleeves and
ankle fasteners or by removing outerwear. If the rest area is warm enough it is
preferable to take off the outer layer(s) so that the perspiration can evaporate from
the clothing.
If fine manual dexterity is not required, gloves should be used below 4C for light
work and below -7C for moderate work. For work below -17C, mittens should be
used.
Cotton is not recommended. It tends to get damp or wet quickly, and loses its
insulating properties. Wool and synthetic fibres, on the other hand, do retain heat
when wet.

Footwear
Felt-lined, rubber bottomed, leather-topped boots with removable felt insoles are best
suited for heavy work in cold since leather is porous, allowing the boots to "breathe" and
let perspiration evaporate. Leather boots can be "waterproofed" with some products that
do not block the pores in the leather. However, if work involves walking and standing in
water, the waterproof boots must be worn.
Socks
You may prefer to wear one pair of thick, bulky socks or two pairs - one inner sock of
silk, nylon, or thin wool and a slightly larger, thick outer sock. Liner socks made from
polypropylene will help keep feet dry and warmer by wicking sweat away from the skin.
However, as the outer sock becomes damper, its insulation properties decrease. If work
conditions permit, have extra socks available so you can dry your feet and change socks
during the day. If two pairs of socks are worn, the outer sock should be a larger size so
that the inner sock is not compressed.
Face and Eye Protection
In extremely cold conditions, where face protection is used, eye protection must be
separated from the nose and mouth to prevent exhaled moisture from fogging and
frosting eye shields or glasses. Select protective eye wear that is appropriate for the work
you are doing, and for protection against ultraviolet light from the sun, glare from the
snow, blowing snow/ice crystals, and high winds at cold temperatures.
Additional prevention tips:
To prevent excessive sweating while working, remove clothing in the following order:
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mittens or gloves (unless you need protection from snow or ice),

headgear and scarf,
then open the jacket at the waist and wrists, and
remove layers of clothing.
As you cool down, follow the reverse order of the above steps.
Prevent contact of bare skin with cold surfaces (especially metallic) below -7C as well
as avoiding skin contact when handling evaporative liquids (gasoline, alcohol, cleaning
fluids) below 4C. Sitting or standing still for prolonged periods should also be avoided.
Balanced meals and adequate liquid intake are essential to maintain body heat and
prevent dehydration. Eat properly and frequently.
Drink fluids often especially when doing strenuous work. For warming purposes, hot
non-alcoholic beverages or soup are suggested. Caffeinated drinks such as coffee should
be limited because it increases urine production and contributes to dehydration. Caffeine
also increases the blood flow at the skin surface which can increase the loss of body heat.
Alcohol should not be consumed as it causes expansion of blood vessels in the skin and
impairs the body's ability to regulate temperature (it affects shivering that can increase
your body temperature). These effects cause the body to lose heat and thus increase the
risk of hypothermia.
First Aid Measures
Applicable First aid if someone has frostbite:
First aid for frostbite, as well as for immersion or trench foot, includes:

Move the affected person from the source of exposure to a warm area.
Seek medical attention, if needed.
Gently loosen or remove constricting clothing or jewellery that may restrict
circulation.
Loosely cover the affected area with a sterile dressing. Place some gauze between
fingers and toes to absorb moisture and prevent them from sticking together.
Wrap the person in a blanket or warm clothing.
Warm the affected area gradually using warm water or body heat.
DO NOT rub area or apply dry heat.
DO NOT break any blisters

DO NOT allow the victim to drink alcohol or smoke.

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Applicable first aid for hypothermia:

Hypothermia is a medical emergency. At the first sign, find medical help immediately.
The survival of the victim depends on their co-workers ability to recognize the symptoms
of hypothermia. The victim is generally not able to notice his or her own condition.
First aid for hypothermia includes the following steps:

Call 9-1-1. Seek medical help immediately.

Remove the person from the source of exposure if safe to do so.
Ensure that wet clothing is removed.
Place the victim between blankets (or towels, newspaper, etc.) so the body
temperature can rise gradually. Body-to-body contact can help warm the victim's
temperature slowly.
Cover the person's head and neck.
Give warm, sweet (caffeine-free, non-alcoholic) drinks unless the victim is rapidly
losing consciousness, unconscious, or convulsing.
Do not attempt to rewarm the victim on site (e.g., do not use hot water bottles or
electric blankets).
Perform CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) if the victim stops breathing.
Continue to provide CPR until medical aid is available. The body slows when it is
very cold and in some cases, hypothermia victims that have appeared "dead" have
been successfully resuscitated.
If CPR is provided along with an AED, hypothermic person receives only one
shock.

References:
1. Canadian Centre for Occupational Health & Safety (CCOHS): Cold
Environments-Working in the Cold.
http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/phys_agents/cold_working.html
2. American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH):
Threshold Limit Values (TLV) and Biological Exposure Indices (BEI) booklet,
2008.

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York University