Renata is not enjoying the freezing weather and wants to have a little chat about working in the cold.
Up until a few short weeks ago we were enjoying an extended period of balmy weather (brrrr, it seems like a dream now). Unfortunately, nice weather doesn’t last forever, and now it is getting harder to drag ourselves out of our cosy beds to shiver our way to work.
But what do you do if your workplace is exceptionally cold or your work requires you to be outside for most of the day? Many workers are exposed to cold environments such as outdoor work in winter months, or in freezer plants, meat packinghouses and cold storage facilities all year round. Is this an issue for employers to address?
We know that working in cold environmental conditions can lead to a number of safety concerns –
- increased risk of musculoskeletal injuries
- increased incidence of arthritis, rheumatism and bronchitis symptoms
- decrease in sensitivity and dexterity arising from cold, stiff, numb or painful extremities and shivering, which can lead to an increase in incident rates
- frostbite, hypothermia and other injuries arising from cold conditions
- psychosocial hazards arising from poor environmental conditions
When we are concerned about the hazards arising from excessive cold in our workplace, we need to approach them in the same way as for all workplace hazards - by following the four-step risk management process –
- identify the risk
- assess the risk
- control the hazard to eliminate or reduce the risk
- review the implemented control strategies
Consult with your DWG and other HSRs about any problems they may be experiencing in the cold and raise those concerns with your employer. Request that your employer monitor the work environment, keeping in mind the ‘wind chill’ factor – this is the combined effect of low temperatures and wind, where the rate of cooling increases as wind velocity increases.
Check on the monitoring and on any reported incidents.
Team up with HSRs from other affected DWGs and negotiate with your employer to introduce appropriate controls, keeping in mind the Hierarchy of Controls –
- Elimination – schedule work to occur during less extreme weather conditions
- Substitution – relocate work tasks where possible to less exposed environment
- Isolation – protective shelters and screens
- Engineering – effective, controllable heating of the work area; insulate metal handles and tools to reduce conductive heat loss
- Administration – time limits and increased break frequency in heated rest areas; appropriate training and information; schedule light warm-up activities before work commences; provision of hot drinks; pace the work to avoid sweating; rotate workers to minimize individual exposure; schedule new employees to allow acclimatization
- PPE – dry protective clothing appropriate to the degree of cold and physical activity – this should consist of multiple layers, including an inner wicking material to move sweat away from the skin and a waterproof outer layer when necessary; a hat that covers the ears – check with suppliers which caps and liners are suitable under hard hats; change to fresh dry clothing when required
For those working in freezer plants, meat packinghouses and cold storage facilities, WorkSafe offers guidance to employers on environmental conditions in their publication A handbook for workplaces: Safe operation of cold storage facilities | WorkSafe.
