Cold Stress — Frostbite and Hypothermia
Construction and general industry · Ver en español
Talking points
- Cold stress occurs when the body loses heat faster than it can produce it. Wind chill, wet clothing, and direct contact with cold surfaces accelerate heat loss.
- Hypothermia begins when core body temperature drops below 95°F. Symptoms include uncontrollable shivering, confusion, slurred speech, and drowsiness.
- Frostbite affects exposed skin — fingers, toes, ears, nose — and can cause permanent tissue damage. Skin turns white or grayish-yellow and feels waxy or numb.
- Dress in layers: a moisture-wicking base layer, an insulating middle layer, and a wind/waterproof outer layer. Change out of wet clothing immediately.
- Schedule warm-up breaks in a heated shelter and use the buddy system — cold workers may not recognize their own symptoms.
Ask the crew
What's the wind chill today, and do we have a heated break area nearby?
Standards this talk is built on
- Section 5(a)(1)
A toolbox talk is a short safety briefing. It supports the training a standard requires; it does not replace it.
Run this talk with your crew and keep the record
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Sign-in sheet
Print this page to collect signatures, or run the talk in Jobsite and workers sign in on their phones.
| Name | Signature | Date |
|---|---|---|
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