Help Your Workers Protect Themselves from the Extreme Cold

January 4, 2018

With record setting low temperatures across the nation it’s a good time for us to review the potential hazards associated with extremely cold working conditions. The two major concerns are hypothermia and frost bite. Hypothermia results from the loss of body temperature. Symptoms include shivering, apathy, loss of consciousness, decreasing pulse rate, and decreasing breathing rate. Frostbite occurs in freezing conditions. The nose, ears, cheeks, chin, fingers and toes are the body parts most likely to be affected. Remind your workers to protect themselves by:

  • Dressing in layers to block the escape of body heat;
  • Choosing clothing that provides good insulation to the head, armpits, and groin area where most body heat escapes;
  • Keeping their nose, ears, cheeks, and chin covered;
  • Wearing moisture wicking wool socks, and insulated work boots;
  • Staying dry;
  • Keeping out of the wind;
  • Eating nutritious high protein foods; and
  • Staying well hydrated.

For more information about cold stress, visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s website article… Cold Stress at DOL, and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health website article… Cold Stress at NIOSH.

Related Articles
OSHA recently updated their guidelines on mitigating and preventing the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace, which reflects the July 27, 2021 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) mask and testing recommendations for fully vaccinated people.…
Each week, MCAA will highlight one or more of the educational resources that are free to MCAA members as a benefit of membership. This week, we focus on MCAA’s new safety training video, Master the Mechanics: Hand & Power Tool Safety for the Mechanical Trades. The video provides trainees with information on the most common hand and power tool injuries in the mechanical construction and service trades. It highlights the tools most likely to be involved in an injury incident, and teaches proper use of the tools to help prevent injuries.…
MCAA extends a warm welcome to Raffi Elchemmas, who will be joining the staff starting August 2, 2021. He will be MCAA’s new Executive Director of Safety, Health and Risk Management, learning the ropes before Pete's upcoming retirement. Raffi comes to us from Milwaukee Tool, where he was the National Manager, Health & Safety. He is a board-certified ergonomist with an MBA in Sales Leadership & Health Sector Management from DePaul University. He has been a member of MCAA’s Safety and Health Committee since 2019. MCAA is pleased to welcome Raffi to the staff, and his wife Martha, daughter Nina, and son Vartan to the MCAA staff family.…
STIHL is recalling to repair certain TS 410 and TS 420 cut-off machines manufactured between January 2021 and April 2021. In some of these machines the flywheel can break apart while the engine is running, posing a projectile hazard to the users or bystanders. If you have any of these machines, immediately discontinue use and take them to an authorized STIHL dealer for free repair. …
Load More...