Quick Links
Customer Centres
The chill factor
Winter has come to B.C., and when temperatures fall below zero, both indoor and outdoor workers are at risk of cold stress, a series of debilitating — even fatal — conditions related to exposure to extreme cold.
Hypothermia, frostbite, frostnip, chilblain, and Raynaud’s phenomenon are all cold stress conditions. At WorkSafeBC, they are most commonly reported by those working in freezers, cold storage, fishing, forestry, construction, and the petroleum industry.
Whether the worksite is indoors or outdoors, employers whose workers are at risk of cold stress need to provide training that covers:
- Job-specific safe work procedures
- Factors that can predispose workers to cold-related disorders
- The warning signs and symptoms of cold stress
- The measures to be taken to protect against cold stress hazards (e.g., wearing appropriate clothing)
Resources:
- Hypothermia: Surviving the cold (PDF 650kb)
- Cold Comfort (WorkSafe Magazine article on working in cold temperatures)
For more information, please contact:
|
Alexandra Skinner-Reynolds |
|