Cold weather reminders: What to wear and how to stay safe working in the cold

Winter brings cold weather challenges for the agricultural community—not holiday hours or closures. Farmers, ranchers and agribusinesses do what needs to be done, no matter the conditions.

“Many of us have stories from days where we made it through snow drifts, ice and extreme temperatures to do what we love,” said Dan Kent, Agri-Services Agency loss control consultant.

Temperatures and outside conditions can change quickly. (Above photo courtesy of Agri-Services Agency.)

“We sometimes forget those close calls, and we push ourselves to the limit,” Kent said.

Education about cold stress can save lives and should be a continuous conversation through the winter months.

What is cold stress, and when does it happen?

Cold stress occurs when the body loses heat and can’t warm itself. If a body is under cold stress long enough certain life-threatening conditions can set in, such as hypothermia, frostbite, trench foot and chilblains. Implementing precautions and training your staff on proper cold weather safety can keep your team safe and healthy.

We often think of cold stress primarily as what happens when we are in the blowing snow, and the temperature is well below freezing. For some, cold stress can set in at 40 degrees Fahrenheit. It does not have to be bone-chilling cold to experience cold stress.

With the right conditions, individuals may experience cold stress in what may be considered normal conditions. Submerged in cold water when it is 40 degrees out? You might be cold. Think of perspiration and being wet from rainwater. Cold stress can happen in a variety of conditions.

Proper clothes, personal protective equipment, processes, procedures and understanding are ways to combat the issue of cold stress and make sure you and your employees stay safe.

Best practices

• Be cognizant of the weather each day. Check the weather every morning, and dress appropriately for the day and tasks at hand.
  • Check the weather frequently and adjust tasks if needed.
  • If temperatures dip below negative 15 degrees Fahrenheit, prioritize outdoor tasks during the highest temperature points of the day, and potentially shift to indoor tasks, if necessary.
• Fuel your body. Prioritize eating breakfast and eating and drinking throughout the day. Your body will be burning more energy to keep warm during times of cold stress.
• Increase the number of breaks or warm-up times to allow workers to elevate their body temperature to normal operating temperature.

What to wear

• Feet: Wear muck boots or slip-on boot covers, and consider boot waterproofing oils. Wear wool socks, double up on pairs of socks or consider using foot warmers or heated socks.
• Legs: Long underwear, breathable/sweat-wicking layers to keep the moisture away from your body, coveralls, wind pants, insulated pants.
• Torso: Coats, sweatshirts, vests, insulated clothes, coveralls, turtlenecks or heated layers
• Hands: Insulated gloves, work gloves with knit gloves underneath, hand warmers or heated gloves
• Neck: Neck gaiters, balaclavas, wild rags, and scarves
• Head: Knit hats, stormy Kromer hats, trapper hats, hoods on our clothes, earmuffs, head bands, goggles, sunglasses or safety glasses

While working in cold weather is part of the job, it can be challenging and potentially dangerous. Arming your staff with the necessary protection and education should be part of on-going training. Agri-Services Agency has loss control consultants with engineering, dairy and feed lot experience. All are authorized OSHA outreach trainers and can assist you and your operation in your safety training needs. To learn more about available loss control services and workers’ compensation, visit www.agri-servicesagency.com or call (877) 466-9089.