As the days get shorter and the temperatures drop, performing outdoor maintenance tasks can become more dangerous for your team. From cleaning windows to completing outdoor repairs, and more, there are many risks that maintenance workers face through the winter while spending long hours outside in the cold. Keeping your outdoor maintenance workers safe and protected through the winter months is vital to your operations, your reputation, and your business.

Know the risks

Cold temperatures pose a real threat to employees with prolonged exposure and inadequate protection. In cold weather conditions, when temperatures fall below -7˚ Celsius, unexposed contact with cold surfaces presents a safety risk. As winter progresses and temperatures drop to below -17.5˚ Celsius, protective equipment (PPE) needs to be part of your health and safety practice. Although outside work poses the most common exposure to cold weather risks, don’t forget to include employees working in warehouses or open facility spaces where cold can also be a factor in performing certain duties.

As workers spend extended amounts of time exposed to the cold and wind, they are at risk for some health conditions like cold stress, windburn, frostnip, and frostbite. Understanding these risks and how to avoid them can help keep your staff safe and protected.

Cold stress: According to the Government of Canada, “cold stress” occurs when the body temperature is no longer maintained at 36-37˚ Celsius. Spending extended periods outside in these conditions can result in cold stress, which means that a worker’s external temperature drops as a result of exposure, eventually lowering their internal temperature, resulting in hypothermia or frostbite.

Windburn: Windburn is caused by exposure to wind chill often present on our cold winter days. It occurs when cold wind removes the top layer of oil from the skin causing symptoms similar to a sunburn, including excessive dryness, redness, soreness, and itchiness. Applying a protective skin care product to the affected areas as needed will help relieve the symptoms of windburn.

Frostnip: Mild frostbite, also called frostnip, makes your skin look yellowish or white but it is still soft to the touch. Your skin might turn red during the warming process, but normal colour returns once the area is warmed. Frostnip can be treated by moving to a warm room, wrapping up in blankets, or adding heat directly to the affected area. Do not rub, massage or shake the injured skin because that can cause more damage.

Frostbite: This condition occurs when the body is exposed to the cold for a long time and can cause restricted blood flow to the extremities like hands, feet, nose, and ears, causing permanent damage to body tissue if it is not treated with medical attention immediately.

Knowing the risks can help you avoid unnecessary exposure, as well as identifying and treating these conditions, should they occur.

Be prepared

Being unprepared or under-equipped means risking illness or injury when exposed to extreme winter weather. Taking the necessary steps to stay safe and protected while performing outdoor maintenance is crucial.

Create practices and protocols with the following tips in mind to prevent injury and keep staff safe this season:

• Keep an eye on the weather. Follow the conditions and allow flexibility when planning upcoming work. Choose optimal, warmer days for large-scale outdoor projects without urgency.
• Similarly, if workers are travelling to more than one location, having an adaptable schedule simplifies the process in extreme weather conditions. When multiple locations are involved, prepare for travel and transportation when planning for safety and prevention.
• Workers should dress appropriately by wearing loose layers to encourage the body to trap heat and keep warm. Overdressing can be problematic, as it may cause the body to sweat, which cools and freezes as the day progresses.
• If you are providing clothing for outdoor workers, fabrics like wool, polyester fleece, and polypropylene retain warmth, even after they get wet. Cotton and goose down stay warm if they stay dry, but as soon as they become moist, they lose the power to insulate, detracting from their protection.
• Covering extremities with hats, gloves, and warm footwear, along with keeping hands and feet moving will help increase blood flow to help protect workers from frostbite. Mitts are not always practical for detailed outdoor work, but by layering gloves under the mitts, workers can take them on and off for small amounts of time, as required. As well, today’s technology means there are options like heated vests and gloves that can help workers stay warm for longer periods.
• Hydrate throughout the day. Create a break schedule to warm up between work. Getting indoors or even out of the elements for a few minutes could lessen the risk of exposure and offer a chance to regulate body temperature.
• Wherever possible, provide outdoor warming stations or place heaters in enclosed spaces to keep the air warm. Tents or tarps can offer shelter from snow and wind and may even help cut down on the time it takes to complete the job.
• Ladders can become slippery when cold, so ensure that employees are wearing spiked footwear and that there is adequate grip. Be sure to avoid setting ladders up on snow or uneven ground and do not climb in heavy winds.
• Once it starts to get dark earlier, visibility can become an issue as the light diminishes. Ensure delivery drivers stay visible with reflective clothing, start lengthy projects early in the day, and set up adequate lighting to help protect your team from accidents caused by poor visibility.
• Avoid weather-related slips and falls for outdoor staff by keeping paths and walkways clear, shovelling frequently and piling snow out of the way. Also, ensure that downspouts are facing away from your building to avoid puddles freezing and thawing as temperatures fluctuate throughout the season.

Train your team

Educating your team on the risks of cold-weather work helps keep them safe and your business protected. For every job, assess the risks, set the expectations, create a plan, and train your team so everyone stays safe. Create standard winter protocols so staff know the expectations. Train all new and seasonal staff you employ, making sure to give a refresher to existing staff as you train new hires or as the seasons change.

Teach your teams to recognize symptoms of cold stress, windburn, frostnip, and frostbite, so that they can stay vigilant in helping to keep everyone safe. Setting up a buddy system with scheduled indoor breaks is a good way to have employees check on each other and look for any signs of concern. Catching symptoms early means they can be addressed quickly before turning into a severe illness or injury.

Enlist your team to help create protocols and encourage their feedback to keep your practices effective and up to date. Conducting the work means that they can provide valuable insight into best practices for spending extensive time outdoors. Expand and improve your plan based on employee input to ensure the needs of your outdoor workers are being met.

Stay safe

Taking a proactive approach to prevention means keeping staff safe when working outside during the winter months. Wearing proper attire, identifying symptoms, warming up, reporting an incident, and taking emergency measures should all be part of your fall maintenance checklist, so you’re ready when colder weather hits. Outdoor winter maintenance has its challenges, but prioritizing safety keeps workers protected and your business running.