Cold weather hazards

Cold-weather hazards. When the body is unable to warm itself, serious cold-related illnesses and injuries may occur, including permanent tissue damage and possibly death. Prolonged exposure to freezing or cold temperatures or cold-water immersion may cause trench foot, frostbite, and hypothermia. 

The impact forces on car couplers put high stresses in sills, anchors, and doublers. This may start fatigue cracks in the shell, particularly at the corners of welded doubler plates. With brittle steel in cold weather, such cracks sometimes cause complete rupture of the tank. Large end radii on the doublers and tougher steels will reduce this hazard. Inspection of older cars can reveal cracks before failure. 

Sufficient distance should be provided from the outer nozzles to keep spray from being carried over the sides of the basin. If it is not possible to provide 7.6 to 10.7 m (25 to 35 ft) of space, the pond should be enclosed with a louver fence, equal in hei t to the maximum height of the spray, to minimize drift loss. Also, during cold-weather periods, fogging can occur from the spray pond, so that consideration should be given to possible hazards to roadways or buildings in the immediate vicinity. 

If the PPE is personal in nature and can be used by the employee off the job, the payment issue may be left up to labor and management. Examples cited in the memorandum include safety shoes, nonspecialty safety glasses, and cold-weather gear. OSHA makes it clear that, If shoes and cold-weather gear is subject to contamination of hazardous substances and cannot be safely worn off-site it should be paid for by the employer. ... 

Potential effects of inclement weather (i.e., using wet procedures during cold weather can cause both operational and maintenance problems) Potential effects of hazards on worker S H (i.e., vapors from chemical decontamination solutions may be hazardous on inhalation or contact with skin, or may be flammable)... 

Excessively low temperature may involve the hazard of brittle fracture. A vessel that is out of use in cold weather could be at a subzero temperature and well below its nil-ductility temperature. In startup, the vessel should be warmed slowly and uniformly until it is above the NDT. A safe value is 38°C (100°F) for plate if the NDT is unknown. The vessel should not be pressurized until this temperature is exceeded. Even after the NDT has been passed, excessively rapid heating or cooling can cause high thermal stresses. 

Outdoor mechanical work in rainy and/or extremely cold weather could be a safety hazard and should be restricted unless temporary sheltering is provided. 

Choking Agents are nonpersistent. Cold weather may decrease the rate of volatilization of any liquids present and increase persistency. Agents absorbed into porous powders may be significantly more persistent than normal. Decomposition products from the breakdown of some Choking Agents can pose a persistent hazard. 

This low-temperature combustion hazard has its implications for cold-weather shutdowns of chlorine processing systems. 

There are no specific training requirements in the OSHA regrda-tions for employee exposure to cold weather. However, the OSHA regulation at 29 CFR 1926.21(b)(2) says that you must instruct employees in the recognition and avoidance of misafe conditions and the regulations applicable to their work environment to control or eliminate any hazards or other exposure to illness or injury. 

Cold weather, especially when coupled with wet and/or windy conditions can cause hypothermia or frostbite. Extreme cold weather can make touching bare metal hazardous, and can freeze water pipes and sprinklers in the fire suppression system. Workers handling gasoline, kerosene, or similar liquids can develop immediate frostbite. Heating systems can malfunction or create noxious fumes in confined spaces. 

Hazards of working in cold weather and how to identify signs of cold stress exposure. 

The Port of Kemi Ltd. is a small workplace it only employs about 35 people. Its job descriptions vary from normal office work to more physical and outdoor port officer tasks. The possible harm related to office work comes mainly from static muscular tension that is commonly caused by using a computer. Disorder and untidiness indoors may cause falls and thus injuries slippery conditions due to cold weather and inadequate gritting outdoors may cause falls as well. For port officers, the job includes operating outdoors, which exposes them to cold weather and its attendant problems. Operations on the piers and ships carry with them the hazards of falling and traffic-related accidents. The constant movement in the port resembles that of a busy factory and so the risks are about the same. Being hit by a car, train, or moving machinery comprises a potential cause of a severe damage. 

Finally, cold weather can also present hazards when working at height particularly when the cold weather is accompanied by wind which will produce a chill factor and an apparent temperature that is lower than the actual... 

The freezing point of sulfur mustard has been reduced in a number of ways to prevent the agent from solidifying in weapons in cold weather. In WWI, mustard was mixed with various solvents, e.g. carbon tetrachloride and benzene. In WWII, Britain produced it from thiodiglycol and hydrogen chloride as a 6 4 mixture with the oligomer T (Scheme 1.1), also known as O mustard. T has somewhat greater vesicant activity than sulfur mustard, is less volatile and more persistent. Other nations mixed mustard with lewisite, which also accelerated the onset of effects and increased the vapour hazard. 

Materials handling Noise exposure Pressure vessels Tractor operation Traffic and the work zone Driving hazards weather and car accidents alcohol and car accidents eating, drinking, and car accidents Hot and cold weather conditions... 

Industrial and mining settings should require ear protection (plugs or muffs) for noise above a certain decibel level, hard hats for head protection, and steel-toed shoes for foot protection. A safety harness should be worn when sampling from heights. A full protective suit should be worn when in extreme heat or cold or near hazardous chemicals. Check to see whether mechanical equipment must be shut down to sample safely. Eye or face protection should be worn if hot gases may be released to the atmosphere. In some circumstances, weather may be a factor. In the field, local terrain may require special gear. 

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