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Preventing Cold-Related Illness, Injury, and Death Among Workers

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Preventing Cold-Related Illness, Injury, and Death Among Workers Preventing Cold-related Illness, Injury, and Death among Workers that is purposefully kept cold, poorly Summary insulated, or without heat. People who have previously experienced frostbite, Workers, both indoors and out- sedentary workers, and those with doors, in services, transportation, poor circulation may be especially agriculture, construction, and oth- susceptible. For indoor workers, work er industries may be exposed to in cold, damp conditions can be un- environmental cold stress that can comfortable and may lead to declin- lead to thermal discomfort and in ing work performance (i.e., a decline some cases even severe injuries, ill- in cognitive function and dexterity) nesses, or death. The National In- or result in cold-related illness or in- stitute for Occupational Safety and jury. Cold-related conditions can also Health (NIOSH) recommends that worsen musculoskeletal injuries and Photo by MarianVejcik/Getty Images employers implement a cold-re- lated illness and injury prevention vascular disorders. For outdoor work- program that includes preventive ers, what constitutes cold stress can measures such as using engineer- vary across different areas of the coun- Cold-related Illnesses ing controls, establishing work/ try. In regions where workers are un- and Injuries rest schedules, training workers accustomed to winter weather, near about the hazards of working in freezing temperatures are considered Cold-related illnesses and injuries in- cold environments, and providing factors for cold stress. Whenever out- clude chilblains, trench foot, frostbite, appropriate cold-weather gear. door temperatures drop substantially and hypothermia. and wind speed increases, heat leaves Chilblains. Chilblains are the painful in- the body more rapidly. According to flammation of small blood vessels in the American Conference of Govern- the skin that occur in response to re- Description of mental Industrial Hygienists (AC- peated exposure to cold but nonfreez- Exposure GIH®) Threshold Limit Values (TLV®), ing temperatures. Small blood vessels workers should be protected from ex- in the skin may become permanently Workers who work in cold environ- posure to cold so that the deep core damaged by cold temperatures, result- ments may be at risk of cold stress. Ex- temperature does not fall below 96.8°F ing in redness and itching during ad- posure to cold can be an uncomfortable (36°C) and to prevent frostbite to body ditional exposures. Symptoms of chil- and potentially dangerous situation. extremities [ACGIH 2019]. Serious blains include redness, itching, possible Health emergencies can occur in peo- health problems can occur when the blistering, inflammation, and possible ple who work outdoors or in an area body is unable to stay warm enough. ulceration in severe cases. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Trench Foot. Trench foot is an injury of the feet after pro- If the worker has no pulse, cardiopulmonary resuscitation longed exposure to wet and cold-related conditions. Trench (CPR) should be provided and continued during the warm- foot occurs because wet feet lose heat faster than dry feet. To ing attempts, until the person responds or medical aid be- prevent heat loss, the body constricts blood vessels in the feet, comes available. Chest compressions should not be per- and then the skin tissue begins to die. Symptoms of trench foot formed for patients who manifest an organized rhythm on include reddening of the skin, numbness, leg cramps, swelling, a cardiac monitor (e.g., automated external defibrillator tingling pain, blisters or ulcers, bleeding under the skin, and [AED]), even if they have no palpable pulses and no oth- gangrene (e.g., foot turns purple, blue, or gray). er signs of life. The worker should be handled very gently and kept horizontal, because when cold, the heart is prone to Frostbite. Frostbite is an injury caused by freezing of the skin ventricular fibrillation with any disturbance. Severely hypo- and deeper tissues, resulting in the loss of feeling and color in thermic patients have been known to survive neurological- the affected areas. Frostbite can permanently damage body tis- ly intact after long periods (over an hour) in a state of “sus- sues, and severe cases can lead to amputation. Examples of risk pended animation” [State of Alaska DHSS 2014]. factors for frostbite include contact with metal or water, dehy- dration, diabetes, smoking, alcohol abuse, sedating or judg- ment impairing medications, and prior history of frostbite. Symptoms of frostbite include numbness; tingling or sting- ing; aching; and bluish or pale, waxy skin. During treatment of frostbite and trench foot, avoid rubbing or putting pressure on affected areas, since that can damage tissue. Hypothermia. When exposed to cold temperatures, the body loses heat faster than it can be produced. Prolonged expo- sure to cold causes internal body temperature to drop, result- ing in a condition called hypothermia. Hypothermia affects brain function, making the victim unable to think clearly or move well (i.e., they may be unable to protect themselves from hazards, or experience slips, trips, and falls). This makes hy- Photo by ilkercelik/Getty Images pothermia particularly dangerous because a person may not recognize the symptoms and will be unable to make life-pre- Case Reports serving decisions. Symptoms of hypothermia can depend on how long a person has been exposed to cold temperatures and Indoor Environment: Airline Catering individual variability. Facility In an airline catering facility cold room (approximate- Hypothermia Symptoms and First Aid ly 40°F), meals were assembled at workstations in shifts lasting 3–8 hours [Ceballos et al. 2015; NIOSH 2014]. Be- Early symptoms include shivering, fatigue, loss of coordina- cause preparations sometimes required fine manual dexter- tion, confusion, and/or disorientation. ity (e.g., thinly slicing fish, decorating with small garnish- Late symptoms include no shivering, blue skin, dilated pupils, es), the workers preferred wearing thin gloves instead of slowed pulse and breathing, and/or loss of consciousness. thicker, better insulated gloves. The frozen food they han- dled caused their hands to become cold and numb. Drafts in- If hypothermia is suspected, medical assistance should be re- side the cold room made some areas feel colder than others, quested immediately (e.g., call 911). Begin first aid by: and air velocities exceeded the recommended guidelines of 200 feet per minute (FPM) [ACGIH 2019]. In addition, 1. moving the worker to a warm room or vehicle, the workers felt that their breaks were not long enough to 2. removing wet clothing, warm up, or to change out of wet or sweat-dampened cloth- ing. An evaluation of the cold room concluded that thermal 3. covering their body with loose, dry blankets, clothing, or comfort concerns perceived by workers might have result- towels (may use skin-to-skin contact or warm bottles or ed from workstation air drafts, insufficient use of person- hot packs in armpits, sides of chest, and groin to increase al protective equipment (e.g., better insulated gloves) due body’s temperature), and to dexterity concerns, work practices, and lack of knowl- edge about good health and safety practices. In an evalua- 4. providing warm, non-alcoholic beverages if the worker is tion of a second airline catering facility where the temper- conscious. ature was approximately 40°F, workers reported that they 2 felt discomfort working in cold temperatures, particularly Provide training in a language and vocabulary that the in the freezer or coolers [NIOSH 2015]. The reported find- workers understand. ings suggest that language was a barrier to effective training Reduce workers’ time spent in the cold environment. and communication regarding workplace safety and health because employees came from 18 countries. Reduce the physical demands of workers (e.g., use relief workers or rotate extra workers in and out of work for long, demanding jobs). Outdoor Environment: Long Haul Ensure access to warm areas and a place to change out of Driving Along Highway wet clothes. In the winter of 2009, a 56-year-old male truck driver went Encourage employees to take breaks to warm up when to the emergency room seeking care [Alaska Trauma Regis- needed. try]. He had come to Alaska after a long haul drive through Monitor workers in cold conditions and initiate a buddy Canada. Along his route, he had stopped to change a fuel fil- system. ter. He accidentally splashed diesel fuel on his gloves, which froze to his hands as he worked outside along the highway. Include a medical and environmental thermometer and After arriving at his destination, he had to spend a night at chemical hot packs in first aid kits. the hospital receiving treatment for his frostbitten hands. Participate in joint management/employee safety com- mittees. Outdoor Environment: Sheep Ranch Provide appropriate cold weather gear such as hats, gloves, At 3:00 p.m., a 58-year-old woman (who was wearing tennis and boots for work in cold environments. shoes, blue jeans, sweater, jacket, and gloves) and her hus- Provide wind protective clothing based on air velocities. band left their sheep ranch headquarters to round up their Provide prompt medical attention to workers who show animals and bring them in for protection from a major snow signs of cold-related illness or injury. storm that was developing [NIOSH 1990]. The woman sep- arated from her husband to chase down a second flock of Workers should: sheep. Shortly afterward, a high wind arose and created whiteout conditions in the area. The husband was unable to Take regular breaks to warm up. locate the woman and returned to the ranch to obtain ad- Monitor their physical condition and that of coworkers. ditional help. At 10:00 p.m., the sheriff’s department, local volunteer fire department, emergency medical service, and Stay hydrated by drinking lots of water; warm beverages search and rescue units became involved in the search.
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