{"id":42677,"date":"2017-12-08T13:44:27","date_gmt":"2017-12-08T18:44:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.smart-union.org\/?p=42677"},"modified":"2017-12-08T13:44:27","modified_gmt":"2017-12-08T18:44:27","slug":"osha-working-in-the-cold-and-preparing-for-winter-weather","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.smart-union.org\/osha-working-in-the-cold-and-preparing-for-winter-weather\/","title":{"rendered":"OSHA: Working in the cold and preparing for winter weather","gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"text"}]},"content":{"rendered":"
Outdoor work requires proper preparation, especially in severe winter weather conditions. Although OSHA does not have a specific standard that covers working in cold environments, employers have a responsibility to provide workers with employment and a place of employment which are free from recognized hazards, including winter weather related hazards, which are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to them (Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970<\/a>). Employers should, therefore, train workers on the hazards of the job and safety measures to use, such as engineering controls and safe work practices, that will protect workers’ safety and health.<\/p>\n At a minimum, employers should train workers on:<\/p>\n Safe work practices that employers can implement to protect workers from injuries, illnesses and fatalities include:<\/p>\n Employers must provide personal protective equipment (PPE), for example, fall protection, when required by OSHA standards to protect workers’ safety and health. However, in limited cases specified in the standard (29 CFR 1910.132<\/a>), there are exceptions to the requirement for employers to provide PPE to workers. For instance, there is no OSHA requirement for employers to provide workers with\u00a0ordinary<\/em>\u00a0clothing, skin creams or other items, used solely for protection from weather, such as winter coats, jackets, gloves, parkas, rubber boots, hats, raincoats, ordinary sunglasses and sunscreen\u00a0(29 CFR 1910.132(h)(4)<\/a>). Regardless of this, many employers provide their workers with winter weather gear such as winter coats\/jackets and gloves. Environmental cold can affect any worker exposed to cold air temperatures and puts workers at risk of cold stress. As wind speed increases, it causes the cold air temperature to feel even colder, increasing the risk of cold stress to exposed workers, especially those working outdoors, such as recreational workers, snow cleanup crews, construction workers, police officers and firefighters. Other workers who may be affected by exposure to environmental cold conditions include those in transit, baggage handlers, water transportation, landscaping services and support activities for oil and gas operations. What constitutes cold stress and its effects can vary across different areas of the country. In regions that are not used to winter weather, near freezing temperatures are considered factors for “cold stress.” Increased wind speed also causes heat to leave the body more rapidly (wind chill effect). Wetness or dampness, even from body sweat, also facilitates heat loss from the body. Cold stress occurs by driving down the skin temperature, and eventually the internal body temperature. When the body is unable to warm itself, serious cold-related illnesses and injuries may occur, and permanent tissue damage and death may result. Types of cold stress include: trench foot, frostbite and hypothermia. Although OSHA does not have a specific standard that covers working in cold environments, under the\u00a0Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH Act) of 1970<\/a>, employers have a duty to protect workers from recognized hazards, including cold stress hazards, that are causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm in the workplace.<\/p>\n Immersion\/Trench Foot<\/em><\/strong> Frostbite<\/em><\/strong> Hypothermia<\/em><\/strong> Basic Life Support (when necessary)<\/em><\/strong> *<\/sup>Chest compression are recommended only if the patient will not receive medical care within three hours.<\/p>\n Although employers cannot control roadway conditions, they can promote safe driving An emergency kit with the following items is recommended in vehicles:<\/p>\n Practice cold weather driving!<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n Prevent crashes<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n Using powered equipment like snow blowers<\/strong><\/p>\n To prevent slips, trips and falls, employers should clear snow and ice from walking surfaces and spread deicer, as quickly as possible after a winter storm. When walking on snow or ice is unavoidable workers should be trained to:<\/p>\n OSHA\u2019s Hazard Alert<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0winter weather webpages<\/a>\u00a0provide guidance to employers on how to prevent serious injuries and fatalities. Employers should consider options to avoid working on roofs or elevated heights, plan ahead for safe snow removal and must:<\/p>\n Dressing properly is extremely important to preventing cold stress. When cold environments or temperatures cannot be avoided, the following would help protect workers from cold stress:<\/p>\n Blizzard Warning:<\/strong>\u00a0Issued for sustained or gusty winds of 35 mph or more, and falling or blowing snow creating visibilities at or below 1\/4 mile; these conditions should persist for at least three hours. Winter weather presents hazards including slippery roads\/surfaces, strong winds and environmental cold. Employers must prevent illnesses, injuries or fatalities, by controlling these hazards in workplaces impacted by winter weather. OSHA and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) are working together on a public education effort aimed at improving the way people prepare for and respond […]<\/p>\n","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"author":6,"featured_media":42684,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[44,31,45,32,33,300,12,27,9,18],"tags":[3499,3500,270,111,3964],"member_types":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nWinter weather presents hazards including slippery roads\/surfaces, strong winds and environmental cold. Employers must prevent illnesses, injuries or fatalities, by controlling these hazards in workplaces impacted by winter weather.
\nOSHA and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA<\/a>) are working together on a public education effort aimed at improving the way people prepare for and respond to\u00a0severe weather<\/a>. Here is some information provided by OSHA to help businesses and their workers prepare for winter weather, and to provide information about hazards that workers may face during and after winter storms.<\/p>\n
\nWinter preparedness<\/strong><\/h1>\n
Employers should train workers<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n
\n
\n
Employers should implement safe work practices<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n
\n
Employers should consider protective clothing that provides warmth<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\nLearn more about PPE requirements:\u00a0Personal Protective Equipment<\/a>\u00a0(OSHA Safety and Health Topics Page).<\/p>\n
\nWind Chill temperature<\/strong><\/h1>\n
Outdoor workers exposed to cold and windy conditions are at risk of cold stress, both air temperature and wind speed affect how cold they feel. Wind Chill is the term used to describe the rate of heat loss from the human body, resulting from the combined effect of low air temperature and wind speed. The Wind Chill temperature is a single value that takes both air temperature and wind speed into account. For example, when the air temperature is 40\u00b0F, and the wind speed is 35 mph, the wind chill temperature is 28\u00b0F; this measurement is the actual effect of the environmental cold on the exposed skin.
\nNational Weather Service (NWS) Wind Chill Calculator<\/a>: With this tool, one may input the air temperature and wind speed, and it will calculate the wind chill temperature.
\nThe American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) developed the following Work\/Warm-up Schedule for a 4-hour shift takes both air temperature and wind speed into account, to provide recommendations on scheduling work breaks and ceasing non-emergency work.
\n<\/p>\n
\n
\nCold Stress<\/strong><\/h1>\n
Cold Stress can be prevented<\/strong><\/h2>\n
It is important for employers to know the wind chill temperature so that they can gauge workers\u2019 exposure risk better and plan how to safely do the work. It is also important to monitor workers\u2019 physical condition during tasks, especially new workers who may not be used to working in the cold, or workers returning after spending some time away from work.
\nThe National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration\u00a0(NOAA) Weather Radio<\/a>\u00a0is a nationwide network of radio stations broadcasting continuous weather information from the nearest NWS office. It will give information when wind chill conditions reach critical thresholds. A Wind Chill Warning is issued when wind chill temperatures are life threatening. A Wind Chill Advisory is issued when wind chill temperatures are potentially hazardous.<\/p>\nWho is affected by environmental cold?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\nRisk factors for cold stress include:<\/p>\n\n
What is cold stress?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\nFor more information, see OSHA’s\u00a0Cold Stress Safety and Health Guide<\/a>.<\/p>\nHow can cold stress be prevented?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n
\n
\n
Types of Cold Stress<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\nTrench foot is a non-freezing injury of the feet caused by prolonged exposure to wet and cold conditions. It can occur in temperatures as high as 60\u00b0F if feet are constantly wet. Injury occurs because wet feet lose heat 25 times faster than dry feet.
\nWhat are they symptoms of trench foot?<\/em>
\nReddening skin, tingling, pain, swelling, leg cramps, numbness and blisters.
\nFirst Aid<\/em><\/p>\n\n
\nFrostbite is caused by the freezing of the skin and tissues. Frostbite can cause permanent damage to the body, and in severe cases can lead to amputation. The risk of frostbite is increased in people with reduced blood circulation and among people who are not dressed properly for extremely cold temperatures.
\nWhat are the symptoms of frostbite?<\/em>
\nReddened skin develops gray\/white patches in the fingers, toes, nose or ear lobes; tingling, aching, a loss of feeling, firm\/hard blisters may occur in the affected areas.
\nFirst Aid<\/em><\/p>\n\n
\nHypothermia occurs when the normal body temperature (98.6\u00b0F) drops to less than 95\u00b0F. Exposure to cold temperatures causes the body to lose heat faster than it can be produced. Prolonged exposure to cold will eventually use up the body\u2019s stored energy. The result is hypothermia, or abnormally low body temperature. Hypothermia is most likely at very cold temperatures, but it can occur even at cool temperatures (above 40\u00b0F) if a person becomes chilled from rain, sweat or immersion in cold water.
\nWhat are the symptoms of hypothermia?<\/em>
\nAn important mild symptom of hypothermia is uncontrollable shivering, which should not be ignored. Although shivering indicates that the body is losing heat, it also helps the body to rewarm itself. Moderate to severe symptoms of hypothermia are loss of coordination, confusion, slurred speech, heart rate\/breathing slow, unconsciousness and possibly death. Body temperature that is too low affects the brain, making the victim unable to think clearly or move well. This makes hypothermia particularly dangerous because a person may not know what is happening and won\u2019t be able to do anything about it.
\nFirst Aid<\/em><\/p>\n\n
\n
\nCo-workers trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) may help a person suffering from hypothermia that has no pulse or is not breathing:<\/p>\n\n
\nWinter driving<\/strong><\/h1>\n
behavior by ensuring workers: recognize the hazards of winter weather driving, for example, driving on snow\/ice covered roads; are properly trained for driving in winter weather conditions; and are licensed (as applicable) for the vehicles they operate. For information about driving safely during the winter, visit OSHA’s\u00a0Safe Winter Driving<\/a>\u00a0page.
\nEmployers should set and enforce driver safety policies. Employers should also implement an effective maintenance program for all vehicles and mechanized equipment that workers are required to operate. Crashes can be avoided. Learn more at:\u00a0Motor Vehicle Safety<\/a>\u00a0(OSHA Safety and Health Topic\u2019s Page).
\nEmployers should ensure properly trained workers’ inspect the following vehicle systems to determine if they are working properly:<\/p>\n\n
\n
\n
\n
Stranded in a vehicle<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n
\nShoveling snow
<\/strong><\/h1>\n
\n
\n
\nFall prevention<\/strong><\/h1>\n
Preventing slips on snow and ice
<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n
Preventing falls when removing snow from elevated surfaces<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n
\nSafety Tips for Workers<\/strong><\/h1>\n
\n
Dressing Properly for the Cold<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n
\n
\nKnow your winter weather terms<\/strong><\/h1>\n
\nWind Chill Advisory:<\/strong>\u00a0Issued when wind chill temperatures are expected to be a significant inconvenience to life with prolonged exposure, and, if caution is not exercised, could lead to hazardous exposure.
\nWind Chill Warning:<\/strong>\u00a0Issued when wind chill temperatures are expected to be hazardous to life within several minutes of exposure.
\nWinter Storm Warning:<\/strong>\u00a0Issued when hazardous winter weather in the form of heavy snow, blizzard conditions, heavy freezing rain or heavy sleet is imminent or occurring. Winter Storm Warnings are usually issued 12 to 24 hours before the event is expected to begin.
\nWinter Storm Watch:<\/strong>\u00a0Alerts the public to the possibility of a blizzard, heavy snow, heavy freezing rain or heavy sleet. Winter Storm watches are usually issued 12 to 48 hours before the beginning of a winter storm.
\nWinter Weather Advisories:<\/strong>\u00a0Issued for accumulations of snow, freezing rain, freezing drizzle and sleet which will cause significant inconveniences and, if caution is not exercised, could lead to life threatening situations.
\n(From:\u00a0National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)<\/a>)
\n <\/p>\n","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"excerpt":{"rendered":"