When temperatures drop, it’s common for safety records to take an unexpected nose dive. The best thing you can do is be prepared for working in cold weather... and here's why.
Cold stress issues
Workers in cold climates are susceptible to cold stress, such as skin rashes, frostnip, frostbite, loss of motor skills, and hypothermia, which can lead to more serious injuries like loss of extremities. One of the most common cold-weather hazards is a loss of feeling in workers’ hands which can result in more instances of dropped tools, smashes, slices, and pinches.
When a cold environment is combined with a wet or damp element, the chances of cold weather injuries are increased even more - water pulls heat away from the body 25 times faster than air, making wet hands or other extremities more susceptible to freezing and more severe injury. See how you can treat cold stress here.
Not to mention the loss of productivity and a downturn in worker morale when working in cold conditions. It’s not pleasant, productive, or safe for anyone to work outside and handle equipment or tools when they can’t feel their fingers.
Working with proper cold weather PPE
This is where having the proper cold weather PPE comes into play. HexArmor® offers a full line of cold-weather work gloves so you can stay safe this winter.
For cool temps, check out:
- Helix® Cold Weather 2073 - Features a full double-dipped coating for liquid resistance
- Helix® 2077 - Features a seamless 13-gauge acrylic and fiberglass blend shell with an interior fleece lining and sandy-nitrile palm coating
- Thin Lizzie™ Thermal 2091 - Combines our most popular knit with back-of-hand impact
- Thin Lizzie™ Thermal 2099 - Features an interior fleece lining for comfort and insulation and a full palm coating for 360-degree protection
When the temperature drops further, try one of our gloves that feature C40 Thinsulate™ liner and H2X® waterproof liner:
- Rig Lizard Arctic® 2023X - Features ANSI/ISEA level A3 cut resistance and ANSI/ISEA level 1 impact protection on the knuckles and fingers
- Chrome Series® Arctic Leather 4082 - Features ANSI/ISEA level A8 cut resistance
- Chrome Series® Arctic 4086 - Features ANSI/ISEA level A8 cut resistance and hi-vis back-of-hand impact protection
Need something warmer? Try:
- Chrome SLT® Cold Weather 4063 - Features ANSI/ISEA cut level A4 cut resistance
- Chrome SLT® Cold Weather 4064 - Features ANSI/ISEA cut level A4 cut resistance plus level 1 back-of-hand impact protection
- Chrome SLT® Winter 4066W - Features ANSI/ISEA cut level A7 cut resistance
- Chrome SLT® Winter 4067W - Features ANSI/ISEA cut level A7 cut resistance
- Chrome SLT® Winter 4073W - Features ANSI/ISEA cut level A6 cut resistance
Plus, unmatched anti-fog protection in the cold is a must:
Workers’ warm breath and body heat contrast with the cold climate, causing safety glasses to fog up in an instant, subjecting them to potential hazards and compliance issues.
Chemically engineered to NOT wash off, HexArmor’s TruShield®2F and TruShield®2SF offer permanent anti-fog coatings on the inside and outside of the lenses that are four times thicker than the competition to protect against moderate to heavy fogging on the job - available in several comfortable frames.
HexArmor® can help
When you prepare properly for the cold weather, you’re more likely to keep the safety record slate clear during the winter months and keep productivity and worker morale high.
Have questions about what cold weather PPE may be right for you? Understanding the PPE you need for your workplace environment is imperative to any cold weather or cold stress safety program.
Download our cold-weather work solutions and see what product may be the best for you and your application, or learn more about our cold-weather technology.
Let us know if you need help or if you're ready to start a trial - our Solution Specialists are ready to work with you. Call 1-877-MY ARMOR or send us a message.
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