Toolbox Talk · Heat & Cold · English
Migna Safety Solutions
Cold Stress
About 10 minutes to deliver · OSH Act § 5(a)(1)
Cold does not need to be arctic to hurt people. Hypothermia happens regularly in the 40s and 50s Fahrenheit when someone is wet, tired, underfed or standing still in wind.
Two things make cold dangerous
Water conducts heat about 25 times faster than air. Wet clothing is the single biggest factor, and it does not matter whether it came from rain, a hose or your own sweat.
Wind strips away the still air next to your skin. 20°F with a 25 mph wind takes heat out of you like still air near 3°F, and exposed skin can freeze in about 30 minutes.
Dress for it
- Three layers. Inner layer wicks — synthetic or wool, never cotton, which soaks and holds it. Middle layer insulates. Outer layer blocks wind and sheds water while still letting vapour out.
- Shed a layer before you sweat, put it back the moment you stop. The most common mistake is overdressing for hard work and then taking a break soaked.
- Loose beats tight. Boots laced too tight and gloves too small restrict circulation in exactly the extremities you are protecting.
- Spare socks and gloves. Being able to change out of wet ones mid-shift prevents more cold injury than anything else you can carry.
Watch for the umbles
Stumbles, mumbles, fumbles and grumbles. Slurring, clumsiness, confusion, unusual irritability — those are the early signs of hypothermia, and the person having them is the least able to notice.
Shivering that stops without the person getting warmer is a bad sign, not a good one.
Get them somewhere warm, out of wet clothing, into dry layers, warm sweet drinks if fully alert. Confused, very drowsy or not shivering in the cold — call 911. Handle them gently.
Frostbite
Numbness, waxy white or greyish skin, hard or unusually firm to touch. Warm it gradually — never rub it, never use direct heat. If it may refreeze before you reach help, do not thaw it.
And two that ride along
Carbon monoxide from fuel-burning heaters in enclosed break areas kills people doing everything else right. Ice on walkways and equipment steps causes more injuries all winter than the cold itself.
Ask the crew
- Is there somewhere warm to take a break, and is it close enough to use?
- Has anyone got wet feet or gloves right now?
- Are we running any fuel-burning heater in an enclosed space?
This is a toolbox talk, not a course. It is general awareness on one topic — not site-specific, not a hazard assessment, and not a substitute for assessment of your workplace by a competent person, your written programs, or manufacturers’ instructions. It does not by itself satisfy any OSHA training requirement. Regulations change; verify against the current standard. Whoever delivers it is responsible for deciding it is suitable and sufficient for the work. Where a talk covers first aid, resuscitation, or mental health it is general safety information, not medical advice, not a substitute for professional medical care or certified emergency-response training, and it confers no certification — in an emergency, call 911. Free to print and use, as is, with no warranty of any kind. Migna Safety Solutions · training.mignasafetysolutions.com
Attendance Record
Form supplied by Migna Safety Solutions
Cold Stress
OSH Act § 5(a)(1)
I delivered this talk and determined it was suitable for this crew and this work.
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Keep this sheet with your training records. This form is supplied blank by Migna Safety Solutions — we did not deliver this session, were not present, and make no representation about what was said or who attended. A toolbox talk is general awareness on one topic and does not by itself satisfy any OSHA training requirement. The employer remains responsible for site-specific hazard assessment and for the training its workers are required to have. Where a talk covers first aid, resuscitation, or mental health it is general safety information, not medical advice, and confers no certification — in an emergency, call 911. Free to print and use, as is, with no warranty of any kind. training.mignasafetysolutions.com