Most outdoor jobs out there, with the possible exception of painting, are going to happen this winter, rain or shine. We saw these guys down the street tearing down some old buildings and thought they looked pretty well equipped.
If you're working on a site with heavy equipment, trucks, and other vehicles this winter you need to have highly visible clothing that is also waterproof. Two Tone Jacket is a good example of comfortable, functional clothing that fits the bill. Whether your site requires ANSI Class 2 or 3, the weather is going to demand warmth. You can get both of these met with some of the options in our rainwear section.
Also working on the site down the street were welders working at heights. They were working from bucket trucks, and were wearing Arc Flash shock-absorbing lanyards. While these are great products, and protect against high heat while maintaining fall protection integrity, they are only compliant once the aerial lift reaches 18.5 feet and provides sufficient fall clearance for the devices to deploy.
A newer option for these guys are the MSA Latchways Arc Flash PFL. These self-retracting lifelines are priced in the same general range of a more traditional shock-absorbing lanyard yet they have quick-activating fall arrest which stops payout of the lifeline within inches and drastically reduces fall distances and thus fall clearance. They are compliant on the way up to the work as well as once they arrive, and they have 100% Kevlar lifelines and shock pack covers for high heat and cut resistance.
Not to beat on the advantages of these Arc Flash SRLs overly much, but also, because they stop a fall so quickly, there is a much greater chance a worker would be able to self-rescue. Far better than finding yourself dangling helplessly from your anchorage and waiting for the guys to come along and get you down.
And speaking of hanging there: While you are waiting around to be rescued, most likely the main arteries in your legs are getting pinched off by your harness straps and causing your legs to go to sleep and generally messing with your whole system. It's called suspension trauma, and it sounds just plain awful. Suspension Trauma Straps are made for just this type of situation, and they are as waterproof as anything you've got on this rainy season. In the event of a fall, they give you a loop to stand on which releases pressure on your legs.
Have you found any particularly great solutions to staying warm and dry this winter? Let us know!