Going Out in the Cold? Tips to Recognize Cold Stress

From osha.gov

Below is an excerpt from the article, “Working in the Cold: How Can Cold Stress Be Prevented?” For more information, please visit www.osha.gov.

Playing or working in the snow can be either fun or challenging. Keep an eye on your time exposure to frigid temperatures. This is especially important with children or the elderly. Here are some physical concerns to address during times of prolonged exposure.

Immersion/Trench Foot 

Trench foot is a non-freezing injury of the feet caused by prolonged exposure to wet and cold conditions. It can occur in temperatures as high as 60°F if feet are constantly wet. Injury occurs because wet feet lose heat 25-times faster than dry feet.

What are the symptoms of trench foot?

Reddening skin, tingling, pain, swelling, leg cramps, numbness, and blisters.

First Aid

• Call 911 immediately in an emergency; otherwise seek medical assistance as soon as possible.
• Remove wet shoes/boots and wet socks.
• Dry the feet and avoid working on them.
• Keep affected feet elevated and avoid walking.
• Seek medical attention.

Frostbite

Frostbite is caused by the freezing of the skin and tissues. Frostbite can cause permanent damage to the body and in severe cases it can lead to amputation. The risk of frostbite is increased in people with reduced blood circulation and among people who are not dressed properly for extremely cold temperatures.

What are the symptoms of frostbite?

Reddened skin develops gray/white patches in the fingers, toes, nose, or ear lobes; tingling, aching, a loss of feeling, firm/hard, and blisters may occur in the affected areas.

First Aid

• Follow the recommendations described below for hypothermia.
• Protect the frostbitten area, e.g., by wrapping loosely in a dry cloth and protect the area from contact until medical help arrives.
• DO NOT rub the affected area, because rubbing causes damage to the skin and tissue.
• DO NOT apply snow or water.
• DO NOT break blisters.
• DO NOT try to re-warm the frostbitten area before getting medical help, for example, do not use heating pads or place in warm water. If a frostbitten area is rewarmed and gets frozen again, more tissue damage will occur. It is safer for the frostbitten area to be rewarmed by medical professionals.
• Give warm sweetened drinks if alert (no alcohol).

Hypothermia

Hypothermia occurs when the normal body temperature (98.6°F) drops to less than 95°F. Exposure to cold temperatures causes the body to lose heat faster than it can produce. Prolonged exposure to cold will eventually use up the body’s stored energy. The result is hypothermia, or abnormally low body temperature. Hypothermia will most likely occur at very cold temperatures, but it can occur even at cool temperatures (above 40°F) if a person becomes chilled from rain, sweat, or immersion in cold water.

What are the symptoms of hypothermia?

An important mild symptom of hypothermia is uncontrollable shivering, which should not be ignored. Although shivering indicates that the body is losing heat, it also helps the body to rewarm itself. Moderate to severe symptoms of hypothermia are loss of coordination, confusion, slurred speech, heart rate/breathing slow, unconsciousness and possibly death. Body temperature that is too low affects the brain, making the victim unable to think clearly or move well. This makes hypothermia particularly dangerous because a person may not know what is happening and won’t be able to do anything about it.

First Aid

• Call 911 immediately in an emergency:
• Move the worker to a warm, dry area.
• Remove any wet clothing and replace with dry clothing. Wrap the entire body (including the head and neck) in layers of blankets; and with a vapor barrier (e.g. tarp, garbage bag) do not cover the face.
• If medical help is more than 30 minutes away:

Give warm sweetened drinks if alert (no alcohol), to help increase the body temperature. Never try to give a drink to an unconscious person.

Place warm bottles or hot packs in armpits, sides of chest, and groin. Call 911 for additional rewarming instructions.

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