Cold Stress Prevention
Anyone
working in a cold environment may be at risk of cold stress. This includes workers
required to work outdoors in cold environments and indoor workers that spend the majority of their work shift in cold rooms
without health and safety guidelines specific to these moderately cold
temperatures.
A
cold environment drives down the skin temperature, and, eventually, the
internal body temperature. As a result, the body is forced to work harder to
maintain its normal temperature. Whenever temperatures drop below normal and
wind speed increases, heat leaves your body more rapidly, and the body’s
ability to warm itself decreases.
When the body is unable to warm itself, cold stress occurs. This can lead to serious
cold-related illnesses and injuries, permanent tissue damage, and even death.
Some
of the risk factors that contribute to cold stress are:
- Wetness,
dampness, dressing improperly, and exhaustion
- Predisposing
health conditions such as hypertension, hypothyroidism, and diabetes
- Poor
physical conditioning
Injuries Due to Cold Stress
Employees who work in cold
temperatures are subject to three major causes of cold stress that can lead to
injury—frostbite, hypothermia, and trench foot.
Frostbite