Symptoms of hypothermia can vary depending
on how long you have been exposed
to the cold temperatures. Early symptoms include
shivering, fatigue, loss of coordination
and confusion or disorientation.
Late symptoms include a lack of shivering,
blue skin, dilated pupils, a slowed pulse
and breathing, and loss of consciousness.
Take the following steps to treat a worker with hypothermia:
Alert a supervisor and request medical
assistance;
Move the victim into a warm room or
shelter;
Remove wet clothing;
Warm the center of the body first, including
chest, neck, head, and groin using an
electric blanket, if available; or use skin to-
skin contact under loose, dry layers of
blankets, clothing, towels, or sheets;
Warm beverages may help increase the
body temperature, but do not give alcoholic
beverages. Do not try to give beverages
to an unconscious person;
Once the body temperature has increased,
keep the victim dry and wrapped in a
warm blanket, including the head and
neck; and
If victim has no pulse, begin cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
Frostbite
Frostbite is an injury to the body that is
caused by freezing. Frostbite causes a loss of
feeling and color in the affected areas. It
most often affects the nose, ears, cheeks,
chin, fingers, or toes. Frostbite can permanently
damage body tissues, and in severe
cases can lead to amputation. In extremely
cold temperatures, the risk of frostbite is increased
in workers with reduced blood circulation
and among workers who are not
dressed properly.
Symptoms of frostbite include reduced
blood flow to hands and feet (fingers or toes
can freeze), numbness, tingling or stinging,
aching and bluish or pail, waxy skin.
Workers suffering from frostbite should,
get into a warm room as soon as possible.
Unless absolutely necessary, do not walk on
frostbitten feet or toes, which can increase
the damage.
Immerse the affected area in warm not
hot water (the temperature should be
comfortable to the touch for unaffected parts
of the body).
Warm the affected area using body heat;
for example, the heat of an armpit can be
used to warm frostbitten fingers. Do not rub
or massage the frostbitten area; doing so
may cause more damage.
Do not use a heating pad, heat lamp, or
the heat of a stove, fireplace, or radiator for
warming. Affected areas are numb and can
be easily burned.
Trench Foot
Trench foot, also known as immersion
foot, is an injury of the feet resulting from
prolonged exposure to wet and cold conditions.
Trench foot can occur at temperatures
as high as 60Ί F if the feet are constantly
wet. Injury occurs because wet feet lose heat
25-times faster than dry feet.
Therefore, to prevent heat loss, the body
constricts blood vessels to shut down circulation
in the feet. Skin tissue begins to die
because of lack of oxygen and nutrients and
due to the buildup of toxic products.
Symptoms of trench foot include: reddening of the
skin, numbness, leg cramps, swelling, tingling pain,
blisters or ulcers, bleeding under the skin, and/or
gangrene (the foot may turn dark purple, blue, or
gray).
Workers suffering from trench foot
should: remove shoes/boots and wet socks;
dry their feet; and avoid walking, as this may cause tissue damage.
Chilblains
Chilblains are caused by the repeated exposure
of skin to temperatures just above
freezing to as high as 60Ί F. The cold exposure
causes damage to the capillary beds
(groups of small blood vessels) in the skin.
This damage is permanent and the redness
and itching will return with additional exposure. The redness and itching typically occurs
on cheeks, ears, fingers, and toes.
Symptoms of chilblains include redness,
itching, possible blistering, inflammation
and possible ulceration in severe cases.
Workers suffering from chilblains should:
avoid scratching, slowly warm the skin, use
corticosteroid creams to relieve itching and
swelling, keep blisters and ulcers clean and
covered.
Employer Recommendations
Employers should take the following
steps to protect workers from cold stress:
Schedule maintenance and repair jobs in
cold areas for warmer months;
Schedule cold jobs for the warmer part of
the day;
Reduce the physical demands of workers;
Use relief workers or assign extra workers
for long, demanding jobs;
Provide warm liquids to workers;
Provide warm areas for use during break
periods; and
Monitor workers who are at risk of cold
stress.
Provide cold stress training that includes
information about:
Worker risk;
Prevention;
Symptoms;
The importance of monitoring yourself and
coworkers for symptoms;
Treatment; and
Personal protective equipment.
Recommendations for Workers
Workers should avoid exposure to extremely
cold temperatures when possible.
When cold environments or temperatures
cannot be avoided, workers should follow
these recommendations to protect themselves
from cold stress:
Wear appropriate clothing;
Wear several layers of loose clothing.
Layering provides better insulation;
Tight clothing reduces blood circulation.
Warm blood needs to be circulated to the
extremities;
When choosing clothing, be aware that
some clothing may restrict movement resulting
in a hazardous situation;
Make sure to protect the ears, face, hands
and feet in extremely cold weather.
Boots should be waterproof and insulated;
Wear a hat; it will keep your whole body
warmer. (Hats reduce the amount of body
heat that escapes from your head.);
Move into warm locations during work
breaks; limit the amount of time outside
on extremely cold days;
Carry cold weather gear, such as extra socks,
gloves, hats, jacket, blankets, a change of
clothes and a thermos of hot liquid;
Include a thermometer and chemical hot
packs in your first aid kit;
Avoid touching cold metal surfaces with
bare skin; and
Monitor your physical condition and that of your
coworkers.
