Know the Signs of Cold Stress
When the body cannot heat itself, it experiences cold stress, which can result in hypothermia and frostbite. Hypothermia happens when your body loses heat faster than it can produce it, causing your core temperature. When a person displays signs of hypothermia, it is crucial to raise their core temperature. Take off all clothes that are wet, and transfer the individual to a location that is dry and warm. Increase their temperature with blankets, extra clothing, and heating pads.
Remember, Safety (Meeting) First
When construction services extremely low temperatures are predicted, hold a safety meeting or toolbox talk to stress the dangers of cold stress, hypothermia, and frostbite. Constructem Canada recommends that you make sure your team dresses suitably for the cold when heading to the construction site. As hypothermia can cause confusion, which may lead to your employees not recognizing its effects on themselves or being involved in other accidents, ensure that they check in construction services with each other frequently and keep an eye out for one another.
Cover Your Head
Although the idea that most body heat escapes through your head is a myth, keeping your head warm is still crucial. Wear an effective knit cap or ski mask to keep your face and ears warm while working in construction services. If a hard hat is required, ensure it has a quality fleece liner that also covers the neck for additional protection. This simple step can significantly reduce heat loss during work on a cold construction site.
Enclose Your Workspace
At Constructem we understand a viable option for all types of construction and all job sites. To enclose a jobsite, one can use methods ranging from simply tacking plastic sheeting over openings like doorways and window cutouts to employing prefabricated modular panel systems or tents. This will prevent the wind from breaking in and retain the heat within the workspace.
Feel the (Artificial) Heat
If you are working indoors, invest in a quality electric heater; for outdoor work, opt for one of those large propane heaters that emits radiant heat for you to gather around. If you can’t enclose the workspace or provide heaters, think about arranging a heated trailer or temporary structure on-site. This would give workers a place to escape the wind and cold and warm up for a few minutes during their breaks.
Warm Up Your Body With a Hot Drink Have a thermos filled with your preferred hot drink readily available to heat you up. Have a decent hot meal at lunchtime or bring an additional thermos filled with soup. When you work in cold conditions, your body uses up a lot of energy, so it’s crucial to keep it well-fueled. On cold days, think about including an additional meal in your daily routine or increasing portion sizes.
Keep Moving
The body produces heat via movement. If you are working outdoors in cold weather, it is essential to keep moving all the time. This shouldn’t pose an issue for some of the physically demanding tasks linked to construction work but our construction services recommended highly protections when you are starting working on construction site.
It is obvious that if your physical activity produces excessive heat, this will lead to perspiration. As we have previously noted, this can have adverse effects. Seek the right balance between sufficient clothing and adequate movement to remain warm and dry.
Conclusion
When professional cost estimators visit the construction site in cold weather, they encounter numerous challenges. At Constructem Canada, we firmly believe that adequate preparation is essential for estimators facing cold conditions during their site visits. Estimators can keep their productivity and focus by putting on layered, insulated clothing, wearing suitable footwear for the weather, and using portable heat sources such as heated gear or hand warmers. In addition, planning visits for the warmer parts of the day and ensuring hydration with warm drinks can have a considerable impact. Estimators can remain warm and carry out their responsibilities effectively, regardless of how difficult the weather becomes, as long as appropriate strategies are employed.
