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Hazards and Effects of Cold Working Environments on the Human Body
Working onboard a ship always includes different risks and hazardous situations. But working in cold conditions makes an originally difficult working environment even worse. The cold, combined with the wind, can be extreme at sea, and you must be aware of how your body reacts to the cold.
You must also understand how the ship, equipment, and tools react to the weather. Suppose you don't take the signals of the body seriously, wear the right clothes and PPE (personal protective equipment), and follow the decided safety measurements. In that case, the consequences can be very severe and sometimes even fatal.
In addition to listening to your own body, you should always keep an eye on your colleagues. How are they doing? Do they look ok? This will ensure that the whole team is kept safe and healthy!
During this course, you will learn more about protecting the crew in cold climates. You will learn about the wind chill factor and how to protect yourself from frostbite and hypothermia. The course also covers what you need to consider regarding deck equipment when navigating cold weather.
Frostbite and hypothermia are the major dangers associated with cold temperatures. Photo: Jörgen Språng.
Hypothermia and Frostbite
This occurs when body heat is lost faster than produced. It can lead to coma or death if the body temperature falls below 32° C. The first symptoms appear when the body reaches a temperature of 35-36 °C, such as slow reactions, tiredness, confusion, and nausea. Prolonged exposure to cool temperatures, even above 0° C, or falling into cold water can lead to hypothermia. The early stages of hypothermia must be treated by moving the person to a safe, warm place and warming them up slowly. Initial treatment upon getting a person out of water would be to cover them with a thermal protective aid.
This occurs when your body tissues freeze. It happens when the temperature of the skin reaches –1 °C. It can happen at temperatures above freezing if you wear wet clothing or if the skin is in contact with frozen metal objects or supercooled liquids. The nose, ears, fingers, and toes are the most common body parts affected. The first symptoms are numbness and spots or areas of the skin becoming pale and feeling very cold.
Frostbite is not always painful, so having said that, you need to be observant. Anyone with frostbite symptoms should be taken indoors and warmed up slowly. Sudden warming can make the damage worse. Prolonged exposure to freezing conditions for more than 12 hours may cause irreversible tissue damage. In the worst cases, there can be loss of an area of skin or require amputation of fingers and toes.
Make sure that hoods and caps are worn with ears fully covered. Photo: Jörgen Språng.
Limiting the Time of Exposure for Outside Work
To avoid prolonged exposure to work in low temperatures, the time for outdoor work should be limited. Divide the work into short shifts where everyone gets the possibility to go inside and warm up regularly.
In extreme temperatures, feel your cheeks and nose with your fingers for sensation. Hands, faces, ears, and feet are susceptible to localized freezing. No feeling means a likelihood of frostbite, and you should immediately enter a warm area. Never rub a numb area, as this could damage frozen skin.
Most importantly, when working in groups, keep an eye on each other to look for any numbness or whiteness.