Cold Weather Awareness 

Winter weather can expose outdoor workers to frostbite, hypothermia, and cold stress, which all can be fatal. Knowing the wind chill and temperature is important to better prepare our crews and keep our employees safe.  

Key Things to be Aware of with Cold Weather:

• Pay attention and watch the weather. You should know the expected weather and temperature for the day before getting to the job site.
• Warm up equipment and tools before using them.
• Wear proper PPE: hard hat, gloves, safety glasses, high-vis vest, waterproof/non-slip boots, and hard hat liners.
• Be aware of slick spots on the job site due to ice.
• Layer on the clothing. Keeping warm is one of the most important things when working in cold weather. The key is finding a balance of wearing enough layers to stay warm while still being able to maintain a good range of mobility to perform your work. A tip is to layer clothing with moisture-wicking thermals on your inner layer and have a waterproof outer layer to prevent moisture from soaking into your clothing.
• Bring an extra set of clothes. If clothing gets wet, it’s important to bring and change into dry clothes to avoid losing body heat.
• Cold weather can cause frostbite and hypothermia. Notify your supervisor if you feel you are experiencing symptoms of either one.

As always, we are constantly providing winter gloves, hard hat liners, and any additional items to give to employees to make them as comfortable as possible while working in the cold. For the Plateau team, you can always stop by the Plateau safety office if you need any of those items.