When the body is unable to warm itself, serious cold-related illnesses and injuries may occur and permanent tissue damage and death may result. Employers with employees working in cold environments such as construction, logging, agriculture, and even food processing and food storage lockers must take precautions to prevent and treat cold-induced illnesses and injuries.

Cold-related illnesses can slowly overcome a person who has been chilled by low temperatures, brisk winds, and wet clothing. Prolonged exposure to freezing or cold temperatures may cause serious health problems such as frostbite and hypothermia. In extreme cases, including cold water immersion, exposure can lead to death.

Frostbite usually affects the fingers, hands, toes, feet, ears, and nose. It is a freezing of the deep layers of skin and tissue. The skin becomes hard and numb and turns a pale, waxy-white in color.

Hypothermia (a medical emergency) can occur when the normal body temperature of 98.6°F/37°C drops to or below 95°F/35°C. Danger signs include fatigue or drowsiness, uncontrolled shivering, slurred speech, clumsy movements, and irritable, irrational or confused behavior.

Fed/OSHA offers a Cold Stress Card which provides guidelines and recommendations for preventing cold weather-induced illnesses and injuries. Here are tips for protecting employees at risk:

• Recognize the environmental and workplace conditions that may be dangerous.
• Learn the signs and symptoms of cold-induced illnesses and injuries and what to do to help employees.
• Train all employees about cold-induced illnesses and injuries.
• Encourage employees to wear proper clothing to guard against cold, wet, and windy conditions. Layer clothing to adjust to changing environmental temperatures. Wear a hat, gloves, and underwear (made of polypropylene) that will keep water away from the skin.
• Ensure that employees in extreme conditions take frequent short breaks in warm, dry shelters to allow their bodies to warm up.
• Try to schedule work for the warmest part of the day.
• Avoid exhaustion or fatigue as energy is needed to keep muscles warm.
• Use the buddy system—work in pairs so that each employee can recognize the danger signs in the other.
• Drink warm, sweet beverages (sugar water, sports-type drinks) and avoid alcoholic beverages or drinks with caffeine (coffee, tea, sodas, hot chocolate).
• Eat warm, high-calorie foods such as hot pasta dishes.

Employees are at an increased risk when:

• They take certain medications.
• They are in poor physical condition, have a poor diet, or are older.
• They have predisposing health conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, or cardiovascular disease.

To obtain a free copy of Fed/OSHA’s
Cold Stress Card in English www.osha.gov/Publications/osha3156.pdf
and Spanish www.osha.gov/Publications/osha3158.pdf, call 1.800.321.6742 (OSHA).