Page 25 - OHS, November/December 2020

chill conditions reach critical thresholds. A Wind Chill Advisory is issued when wind chill temperatures are potentially hazardous, and a Wind Chill Warning is issued when wind chill temperatures are life threatening.
The NWS website has a box in the upper left corner where you can put the city or ZIP code to get your local weather. It will give you the temperature and wind speed along with other information.
Once you have the temperature and wind speed, you can calculate the wind chill with the NWS online calculator. 2
Plus, the NWS also has a handy Wind Chill Chart with the wind speed, temperature and corresponding wind chill. For example, if the wind speed is 15 mph and the temperature is 30 degrees, the wind chill is 19 degrees.
PPE as a Preventative Measure
According to OSHA, “Protective clothing is recommended for work at or below 4 degrees Celsius or below 39.2 degrees Fahrenheit.” An extra benefit of providing appropriate winter gear is that it helps improve performance and productivity.
Wearing the proper PPE is one of the primary preventative measures to protect workers in cold environments. Parkas with removable fleece linings, balaclavas that shape shift from a full-face mask to a neck gaiter and battery-powered heated jackets are at the top of the winter PPE checklist because their multi-functional designs allow workers to control their comfort based on changing weather conditions and activity levels.
But winter work gloves, which are critical to performing tasks, play a critical role in preventing cold stress, including frostbite and hypothermia.
Frostbite, one of the most common injuries from cold exposure, can cause permanent damage to hands or fingers, including amputation.
Hypothermia, which means “low heat,” occurs when body heat
Circle 28 on card.
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