As anyone who's lived or worked in it knows, a cold environment makes everything more difficult. You fumble with numb fingers under bulky gloves, slip on the ice and shiver at the sight of your breath hitting the icy air. Working under extremely cold conditions, however, is not only inconvenient and uncomfortable; if you don't take some basic precautions, it can pose serious threats to your health.
Symptoms of cold-related ailments are easy to overlook, even though they can cause irreversible tissue damage and, in extreme cases, even be deadly.
Whether you're working in the fishing industry, laboring outdoors in the winter or working in refrigerated warehouses, be aware of the health risks that come with your job and how to protect yourself.
How cold is too cold?
No matter what the temperature is around your body, it continuously strives to maintain its normal internal temperature of 37° C. (A drop of just a few degrees can be life-threatening.) Most people are comfortable working in an environment of about 22° C (with 45 percent humidity). If your work is extremely labor-intensive (and thus heat-generating), the ideal working temperature could be as low as 13° C without special clothing to ward off the cold.
Remember to include the wind chill factor when calculating safety, a reading that combines air temperature with wind velocity. For example, on a 4° C with 35-mile-per-hour winds, the temperature your exposed skin is experiencing is not 4° C: it's -11° C.
What happens to the body under extremely cold conditions?
While the body has some very effective mechanisms to adjust to extreme heat conditions, it has few tricks to deal with the cold. Its first line of defense is to constrict blood vessels and limit blood flow to the extremities (primarily hands and feet) and the skin's surface. That way, less body heat from the blood is lost through the skin into the environment. The body's only other defense against the cold is shivering, which generates heat by increasing the body's metabolism.
What are the health problems associated with working in an extremely cold environment?
Frostbite. This occurs when your skin and sometimes muscle tissue freeze due to exposure. It usually affects the hands and feet or the exposed skin on ears, cheeks and noses because your body has kept them colder to save heat in the rest of the body. One is at risk for frostbite at temperatures below 30 degrees, although wind chill effects can also cause frostbite at above-freezing temperatures. The tissue damage can be irreversible; in rare cases, amputation is sometimes necessary.
Early symptoms of frostbite include a tingling, stinging or aching feeling in the exposed area, followed by numbness. If the victim suffers from hypothermia, treat it first. Then, treat frostbite by covering affected areas with dry, sterile gauze or soft, clean cloth bandages. Do not massage the area; it can worsen the injury. Severe cases require hospitalization.
Hypothermia. In this potentially fatal condition, the body temperature falls, impairing normal muscular and brain functions. Initial symptoms, which occur if the body temperature drops to 35° C from the normal 37° C, include shivering, the inability to perform complex motor functions, mild confusion and lethargy.
Hypothermia becomes more severe if body temperature continues to fall until victims cannot perform even simple motor functions. The person may also fall into a semi-conscious state, exhibiting slurred speech and irrational behavior; campers caught in a blizzard and suffering from hypothermia, for example, have been known to tear off their clothes and run in the snow.
The most severe state of hypothermia occurs when body temperature falls to 90 degrees F, causing the body to move into a state of hibernation. The heart rate and breathing slow, and the victim may lose consciousness; full heart failure can occur.
Naturally, victims need immediate medical treatment. If you can't get a hypothermia victim to the hospital, try conserving body heat by warming them. Find shelter if possible, remove wet clothing, add layers of dry clothing and cover him or her with blankets.
Do not apply direct heat
Do not use hot water, a heating pad or a heat lamp to warm the victim
Do not warm arms and legs because this forces cold blood back toward the heart, lungs and brain, which can be fatal.
If medical treatment will be delayed, try warming the victim's body with your own. If possible, use warm compresses on the neck, chest and groin. Give the victims liquids as well (but no alcohol or caffeine).
Trench foot. Common among fishermen, this condition is caused by continuous exposure to wet, cold environments, especially when the feet are immersed in water. Spasms in the blood vessels stop the blood's circulation to the foot, which can cause muscular damage. Symptoms include:
A tingling or itching sensation
Burning
Pain
Swelling
Blisters
Move the victim to a warm, dry area, then wash and dry the affected skin. Rewarm the foot, elevate it slightly and get medical help as soon as possible.
What can I do to protect myself?
Wear protective clothing. The first line of protection against the cold is dressing correctly. You should wear at least three layers of clothing:
Inner layer. Cotton or synthetic weave to allow your skin to breathe.
Middle layer. A fabric like wool or synthetic fabric (such as Qualofil or Pile) absorbs sweat and retains insulation (down is also an excellent lightweight insulator but useless if it gets wet).
Outer layer. A fabric like Gore-Tex or nylon -- should break the wind and allow some ventilation.
Special care should be taken to properly cover the head (where 40 percent of body heat can be lost) and the feet, hands and face, which are most prone to frostbite. Make sure your foot and hand gear is thoroughly waterproof. Also, keep a change of clothes at work in case your clothes get wet.
Get your engineers involved. Your workplace should reduce exposure to cold by installing on-site heating devices, erecting shields or walls, and putting thermal insulating covers on equipment handles when temperatures are below -1° C.
Adopt safe work practices. Take time to adjust to new cold conditions before working at full capacity.
Reduce exposure. Try to reduce the time you're required to work in the cold as much as possible (by working during the warmest hours of the day, for example).
Get advice. Talk with a safety specialist about the potential for accidents while wearing thick gloves or bulky clothing.
Take breaks. Work at your own pace and take more frequent breaks if needed.
Liquids help. It's essential to stay well hydrated.
Buddy system. Implement a buddy system where you and other employees can look after each other during work in cold locations.
Warning signs. Most importantly, ask for on-the-job training about the risks of working in extremely cold environments and how to recognize symptoms of cold-related ailments.
Source: HealthDay
