Working in a cold environment increases the risk of ergonomic injury
When working in cold conditions (e.g., refrigerated warehouses, meat packing plants, outdoors), the physiological impact on the employee can be significant. Cold temperatures are likely to cause or contribute to musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and should be included as a risk factor in any ergonomic program.
Keep in mind, this doesn’t mean that employees can’t work in cold environments, it simply means that extra precautions are required. Cold environments put more demand on the body in an effort to preserve a core body temperature of 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. A person’s metabolism, the mechanism for producing heat in the body, must meet the demands created by lower temperatures. The body will work harder to perform in colder climates in order to generate adequate heat to keep warm, but this comes at a cost.
Employees may experience a loss of dexterity, sensitivity, reddening of the skin, along with tingling and numbness in the hands when exposed to cold weather. A lower body temperature (especially in the extremities where heat tends to dissipate quicker) makes handling and gripping objects more difficult. Other effects can include uncontrollable shivering, loss of coordination, confusion, and slurred speech. This obvious decrease in blood supply to the muscles and reduction in mental clarity can increase the risk of MSDs as the body attempts to overcompensate, sometimes unknowingly and unintentionally.
Fitting the job to the person is increasingly important in cold temperatures. General requirements to consider in a cold weather-influenced ergonomic program may include:
- Defining clear goals, objectives, and responsibilities that will consider any predisposing conditions to susceptibility to cold injury, including age, blood circulation issues, previous cold stress injury, certain medical conditions, fatigue, alcohol/nicotine/drug use, and/or certain over-the-counter medications.
- Encouraging employees to report symptoms of cold stress and injuries related to MSDs.
- Establishing administrative controls such as worker rotation and increased rest breaks in a warm environment.
- Applying evaluation and corrective action to periodically assess the effectiveness of the ergonomic process as it relates to working in a cold environment.
- Involving employees in work-site assessments, solution development and implementation.
- Providing personal protective equipment that will also keep the employee warm while not interfering with its functionality.
- Providing training for employees to ensure they are aware of proper ergonomics and cold stress and how they relate to each other.
An employee’s response to the cold will vary from person to person. While personal risk factors will affect each individual’s reaction to the cold, prolonged exposure to cold temperatures can be devastating to anyone. Serious cold-related illnesses and injuries include trench foot, frostbite, and hypothermia — all of which can cause permanent tissue damage and death.
Although OSHA does not have a specific standard that covers ergonomics or working in cold environments, under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers have a duty to protect workers from recognized hazards that are causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm in the workplace. The combination of ergonomic and cold stress hazards should be in the forefront of every safety professional.
Key to remember: Working in cold conditions is an ergonomic risk factor that shouldn’t be ignored.