The bitter winter months can be hazardous for those who work outside. Here’s how OSH professionals can help to mitigate the risks.

Working outside during the winter months is not a prospect that should be approached lightly. Whether the cold air, rain or snow arrives in short blasts or stays for long periods, it can take a heavy toll on body and mind. Threats range from slippery surfaces to hypothermia, from slowed reaction times to low mood.   

Increasingly extreme weather is becoming a fact of life for those engaged in outdoor industries such as construction, agriculture, transportation and delivery, utility services, fishing and other offshore activity, meaning the need for OSH professionals to mitigate the potential effects is also becoming more pressing.

Dangerous exposure

In the context of climate change, high temperatures take a lot of the focus, but at what sort of low temperature does working outdoors start to become a problem? Michael Wagner, director of operations, fleet and safety for Designscapes Colorado, owner of Exbet Advising and safety task force lead for the Snow and Ice Management Association (SIMA), says: ‘Certain jobs and roles require more preparation for working outside, and a greater part of the US will do this on a seasonal basis,’ he says. ‘We define cold weather based on the type of work we do and the environment we work in, and prepare ourselves for that.’

Fred Haugen, senior scientist at STAMI, the National Institute of Occupational Health in Norway, says that definitions of what constitutes ‘cold’ are elusive. ‘It’s not very common in any country to have this limit,’ he says. ‘It’s more a definition of the wind speed and the temperature that is used.’ For some scientific purposes, it might be 10°C. He adds: ‘You should start having some measures below that. At under 5°C you would maybe increase some actions to mitigate the effects.’

Rachel Hendron, senior HSEQ adviser at global specialists in subsea robotics ROVOP and chair of IOSH’s Offshore Community, says that any definition will be subjective. ‘If you look at HSE [GB Health and Safety Executive] guidance, there’s no strict legal temperature limit,’ she says. ‘But the guidance does consider cold stress risks to start around 15°C in windy or wet conditions. Remember that cold conditions aren’t just about temperature – add wind chill, humidity, wet clothing and that all starts to exacerbate the situation.’

wind chill, humidity and wet clothing all exacerbate the cold

OSH professionals with responsibility for protecting outdoor workers should not rely on the presence of obvious indicators of cold such as snow, ice or condensed breath. Many factors can come into play well before that point and will start to have an effect. ‘If workers are outside for a long period, they can soon begin to feel cold and suffer from shivering and numbness,’ says Rachel.

Skin exposure is a key risk. ‘Those injuries are often the most severe, especially on the hands,’ says Fred. ‘You don’t have to go very cold to get them – they are caused by wet conditions combined with the cold. In the long term, you could get a cold hypersensitivity, where your skin doesn’t tolerate so much cold anymore.’ 

In the extreme cold, tissue damage such as frostbite can occur. SIMA training sessions emphasise protecting the skin from exposure to the wind, water, snow and ice, says Michael. In combination, those elements present further threats. ‘Heavy wet snow with a lot of moisture to it can create problems such as hypothermia, cold stress, frostbite and even trench foot.’

Existing health conditions can be exacerbated by being in the cold. For example, someone with a cardiovascular condition might be vulnerable to frequent rising and falling temperatures.

‘Monitoring our heart rate, body temperature [and] hydration are all factors in how we protect ourselves from cold weather,’ says Michael.

The psychological effort of dealing with extreme cold can also be attritional, leading to stress, tiredness and depression. ‘We talk a lot about mental preparation,’ adds Michael, ‘and ensuring that employees are well taken care of and given ample time to recuperate.’

Symptoms to spot

The signs that a worker might be suffering from the cold can range from tingling skin and loss of feeling to confusion and dizziness. Individuals need to be able to recognise these symptoms for themselves and they also need to spot them in their colleagues, which is where OSH professionals come in. ‘An awareness session would include how to look out for your teammates, particularly when working outside in colder conditions,’ says Rachel. 

If somebody is suffering from the effects of cold, the first step is to get them to a warmer place. For the snow and ice removal industry, that place is usually nearby, says Michael. ‘We have vehicles with cabs and heaters, and facilities with extra clothes and blankets,’ he explains. ‘We want to bring people’s body temperature up slowly instead of heating them up too quickly.’

Another control measure is work rotation. ‘You wouldn’t do the same job for a long period,’ Rachel explains. ‘You’d be swapped out. The temperature and wind chill would be closely monitored. If it got below a certain point, there would be an “all stop”.’

But before anyone sets foot outside, a thorough risk assessment and having suitable control measures at the ready are critical preparations. ‘You’re not just looking at the hazards and risks for the task, you’re asking if the equipment is suitable for the task and looking at any hazards, considering any environmental factors such as cold exposure, and planning for crew rotation,’ Rachel explains. ‘Completing the risk assessment before the job starts, followed by a thorough toolbox talk, ensures that these points are covered.’

‘Extreme weather can last for weeks and your resources are stretched thin,’ says Michael. ‘How do we prepare for those events, where we see below-zero temperatures but then some fluctuation, some melting, then back to cold? One way is to create standard operating procedures to be proactive.’

The last line of defence is, of course, PPE. It may be the last, but it is very much required by outdoor workers operating in cold conditions. ‘But it needs to be the correct PPE,’ Rachel advises. ‘There’s no point if a jacket keeps you warm but you can’t move and do the job without introducing additional hazards.’

Michael adds that PPE is a major topic for SIMA training. ‘There is so much equipment and clothing to protect people,’ he says. ‘That’s why we make sure everybody is always reminded about what they need and what optional equipment is out there.’

In Norway, larger companies tend to be well organised when it comes to PPE. ‘They measure conditions constantly and give day-to-day advice for what to wear,’ says Fred. But that’s not necessarily the case for newcomers to the country and those working in less formal arrangements. ‘We are used to living in these conditions, but one group that would benefit from more structured advice would be immigrant workers in smaller companies that are coming to do contract work here.’