Winter Protection for Confined Spaces

COLD WEATHER DANGERS

A winterized workplace safety culturewill be aware of the season’s unique safety hazards. Any workplace that hasslip, trip, and fall hazards, falling object hazards, or fire hazards in normalweather conditions will still have those hazards when the weather gets colder.A danger unique to cold, wet, and windy conditions are cold stress hazards,which can take the form of trench foot, frostbite, and hypothermia. Theseconditions can set in when the body temperature gets too low—a layered clothingsystem that pulls moisture away from the skin, provides lightweight insulation,and repels rain and wind while allowing vapor and moisture to wick away fromthe body goes a long way toward conserving precious body heat.

Cold stress can be prevented with properprotective equipment but should be treated as soon as possible. Keep yourselfwarm with PIP Heat Packs andother warming gear on extra cold days. A PIP 3-in-1 Polyester FleeceLiner is just the thing for keeping your head covered, andworkers who need insulated eye protection will love the Pyramex V2G-XP Hot/ColdResistant Goggles. For confined space workers who need somethingwarm and secure, the MCR Safety Deluxe FR Insulated Contractor Coverall is a great choice.

OTHER WINTER SAFETY PRECAUTIONS

The right preparation can go milestoward helping prevent injuries and illnesses. On top of your normal workplacesafety plan, keep an eye on the weather and employees’ physical health,schedule frequent breaks in warm and dry areas, and make sure that you scheduleoutdoor work for the warmest times of the day. Plan ahead for bad weather andbuy plenty of cold weather gear for employees who require it as well as someextras—an extra Berne Thermal Lined HoodedSweatshirt or Saf-Tech Indura FR InsulatedWork Jacket in a work vehicle is a good idea, just in case.Keep emergency backup power available as well as a fire protection option thatwill still work even when water freezes. For confined spaces, make sure thatit’s safe to heat the atmosphere, but don’t introduce new sources of ignitionor increase the vaporization for worker safety. If there’s wind, keepnon-essential personnel out of it and rotate workers.

Need a grip on cold weather work? PKSafety has many pairs of thermal gloves to choose from including a hi-vis option from PowerGrab,the PIP MadMax Thermo withThinsulate Insulation Glove, and a Towa PowerGrab Thermo InsulatedGlove. Cold Weather Safety Experts at PK Safety

Temperatures are getting colder already,but there’s still time to get your cold-weather protection gear from PK Safety.We have a Winter Gear Sale going on for a limited time: get $20 off and freeshipping on your orders over $199 by using the code WARMUP18 when you checkout. For more information about winter safety equipment, contact a PK Safetyexpert online or at 800.829.9580.