Cold Stress Toolbox Talk
Cold does not usually put somebody in hospital directly. It makes their hands clumsy, their judgment slow and the deck slippery, and then something else does.
Print this talk with the sign in lines on it
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The talk, read this out
Everybody check what you are wearing. Cotton next to the skin, wet gloves, no hat? Then you are going to be worse at your job by ten o'clock, and that is before we talk about frostbite.
Three layers. A wicking layer next to the skin that is not cotton, an insulating layer in the middle, and a wind and water resistant shell. Cotton holds sweat against you and then you carry a wet layer all day, which is how a cold morning becomes hypothermia in the afternoon.
Wind chill is the number that matters, not the thermometer. Thirty degrees with a twenty mile an hour wind takes exposed skin down fast, and standing on a deck or up on a lift is where the wind actually is.
Wet is worse than cold. Wet gloves, wet boots, snow down a collar, or sweat from working hard in a shell you never opened. Bring a spare set of gloves and socks and change them when they get wet, not at the end of the day.
Know the signs. Frostbite starts as numbness with white or grayish yellow skin that feels firm or waxy, usually fingers, toes, nose and ears. Do not rub it. Get inside, warm it gradually with body heat or warm not hot water, and get medical attention.
Hypothermia starts with uncontrollable shivering, then clumsiness, slurred speech and confusion. When the shivering stops but the person is still cold, it is getting worse, not better. That is a 911 call. Get them into a warm dry place, off wet clothes, into blankets, warm drinks if they are alert.
And the part that causes most winter injuries: ice. Black ice on plywood, frost on steel, snow hiding an opening, a ladder base on ice. Salt or sand the routes, sweep the deck before anybody carries anything across it, and add extra time to everything.
Point at these before anybody starts
A talk delivered in a trailer is a meeting. Stand where the work is and put a hand on each of these.
- What everybody is wearing next to the skin, and whether any of it is cotton
- Spare gloves, socks and hats in the truck, and who does not have any
- The wind chill for this morning and this afternoon
- Where the warm up area is and how often people are getting to it
- Ice and frost on decks, stairs, ladders, scaffolds and the walking routes
- Anybody who is already shivering, and how long they have been out
The rules that apply
- Layer properly: a non cotton wicking base, an insulating middle layer and a wind and water resistant shell.
- Change out of wet gloves, socks and clothing immediately. Wet clothing pulls heat out of the body far faster than cold air.
- Take scheduled warm up breaks in a heated space, more often as wind chill drops.
- Frostbite: do not rub the area, warm it gradually, get medical attention.
- Hypothermia with confusion or shivering that has stopped is a 911 call. Warm the person and keep them awake and dry.
- Clear, salt or sand every walking route, ladder base and work platform before work starts.
Ask the crew
Three questions, answered out loud by name. This is the part that tells you whether anybody was listening.
- Who is working in the wind today, up high or out in the open?
- Who does not have a spare pair of gloves with them right now?
- Where is the ice on this site that somebody is going to find the hard way?
Close with this
Dry layers, warm up breaks, salt on the routes. If somebody stops shivering and starts making no sense, call 911.
A talk nobody signed for is a talk that, as far as anybody can later prove, never happened. Use the free toolbox meeting sign in sheet in PDF, Word or Excel, or print the PDF above, which already has the signature lines on it.
Questions people ask
Is there an OSHA standard for working in the cold?
There is no specific federal cold stress standard. It is enforced under the General Duty Clause, Section 5(a)(1) of the OSH Act, which requires a workplace free from recognized hazards likely to cause death or serious physical harm.
What are the first signs of hypothermia?
Uncontrollable shivering, then fumbling hands, slowed movement, slurred speech and confusion. Shivering that stops while the person is still cold is a sign the body is losing the fight and needs emergency help.
Why is cotton a problem in cold weather?
Cotton absorbs sweat and holds it against the skin instead of moving it away, and wet fabric conducts heat away from the body many times faster than dry fabric. Wool and synthetics keep insulating when damp.
More toolbox talks
TOOLBOX TALK: COLD STRESS
Attendance
Everybody who was present signs, including subcontractors and anybody visiting the site.