{"id":2434,"date":"2018-12-17T11:44:43","date_gmt":"2018-12-17T11:44:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.networkportfolio.co.uk\/ncinsurance.co.uk\/?p=2434"},"modified":"2018-12-17T11:47:00","modified_gmt":"2018-12-17T11:47:00","slug":"protecting-construction-workers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/networkportfolio.co.uk\/ncinsurance.co.uk\/blog\/protecting-construction-workers\/","title":{"rendered":"Protecting construction workers against cold stress this winter"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Whilst many of us have the option to turn the heating up in winter, wear a few extra layers and supply both ourselves and our co-workers with a constant stream of hot drinks, construction workers must face the elements head-on. Even in the most adverse temperatures, the show must go on which can lead to a number of potential risks to those working in the industry.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">When working in freezing temperatures for an extended period of time, workers are at risk of cold stress, a serious condition which occurs when the body temperature rapidly drops and the body cannot retain the levels of heat required to function normally. This can lead to serious health problems such as hypothermia and frostbite. Similarly, it can also put the worker at a heightened risk of other injuries due to a lack of concentration or an inability to move their joints to full capacity.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><strong>Who\u2019s vulnerable?<br \/>\n<\/strong>Anyone can be victim to cold stress and its repercussions but there are certain groups who are more susceptible and so should take extra care when working onsite. However, susceptibility to cold cannot always be predetermined so it\u2019s best to take precautions regardless of your perceived good health.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><strong>Risk factors:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Age<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Low blood pressure<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Circulatory irregularities\/diseases<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Fatigue<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Smokers\/drinkers<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Certain medications<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Past history<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><strong>Prevention<br \/>\n<\/strong>Ensure that your construction workers are fully aware of the dangers of cold risk and if you see them acting frivolously and\/or posing a danger to themselves you\u2019ll need to take suitable action. Clothing, equipment and planning can all go a long way to protecting your workers. We take a look at some methods of prevention.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Ensure cold weather gloves, hard hat liners, jacket and insulated boots are worn<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Implement a buddy system<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Encourage breaks and ensure there is a place for your workers to seek warmth<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Use cold-temperature-approved equipment<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Use \u2018Ice Melt\u2019 in slippery areas<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Ensure all hardhats have an LT (low temperature) identifier.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Ensure construction workers don\u2019t touch cold metal surfaces with bare hands when temperatures are below -7\u00b0C.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Train staff on meals and hydration<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><strong>Recognising the symptoms<br \/>\n<\/strong>It\u2019s best to recognise the symptoms of cold stress early to ensure the wellbeing of your construction workers. The early stages of hypothermia include shivering, lack of coordination, slurred speech and pale skin. When this progresses, the shivering will stop, your worker will be unable to stand or walk and they may appear confused. When this reaches the height of severity, they will be extremely fatigued with cold skin and it may be difficult to find their pulse.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">In the case of frostbite, the worker will initially feel a cold, tingling, stinging or aching pain in the frostbitten area, followed by numbness. The skin will initially appear red, then purple, before slowly getting paler to the point of white and will be incredibly cold to touch. In severe cases, the skin may become hard or begin to blister.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><strong>Treating cold stress<br \/>\n<\/strong>If you notice the signs of cold stress, even in its very early stages, seek medical attention immediately. Your first priority must be to get your <\/span>worker<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"> out of the cold into a warm environment.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><strong>In the case of hypothermia:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Remove any wet clothing<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Use an electric blanket to warm the body from its core, if this isn\u2019t available, use skin-to-skin contact under loose, dry layers of material<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">If the worker is conscious, encourage them to drink warm, non-alcoholic beverages<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Once warmed up, keep the worker in a warm blanket ensuring their head is wrapped<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><strong>In the case of frostbite:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">If the affected area is on their feet, don\u2019t allow the worker to walk unless essential<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Immerse the affected area in warm, not hot, water. Otherwise, use your own body heat to treat the area but DO NOT rub it<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Don\u2019t use a radiator, heating pad, stove or fireplace to heat the affected area<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">NC Insurance<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">It\u2019s important to keep your construction workers onsite safe under all weather conditions as you could be liable if they suffer an accident or injury at work. A dedicated insurance policy will cover your business should something go wrong. At <strong>NC Insurance<\/strong> we will work with you to establish the risks to your business, along with your level of affordability. Then we\u2019ll find you the right policy at the right price. Call us today on <b>0191 482 1219 <\/b>or visit our<a href=\"https:\/\/www.networkportfolio.co.uk\/ncinsurance.co.uk\/\"><b> website <\/b><\/a>for more info.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">For more information on keeping your organisation safe, read our blog post:\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.networkportfolio.co.uk\/ncinsurance.co.uk\/blog\/2018\/11\/13\/common-cyber-attacks\/\">Keep your organisation safe from these common cyber-attacks.<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<table style=\"height: 32px;\" width=\"124\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 34px;\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/NCinsurance.Brokers\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-2152 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.networkportfolio.co.uk\/ncinsurance.co.uk\/thirdsectorprotect\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2018\/09\/facebook.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"120\" height=\"120\" \/><\/a><\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 34px;\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/_ncinsurance?lang=en-gb\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-2154 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.networkportfolio.co.uk\/ncinsurance.co.uk\/thirdsectorprotect\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2018\/09\/twitter.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"120\" height=\"120\" \/><\/a><\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 34px;\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/ncinsurance\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-2153 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.networkportfolio.co.uk\/ncinsurance.co.uk\/thirdsectorprotect\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2018\/09\/LinkedIn.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"120\" height=\"108\" \/><\/a><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Whilst many of us have the option to turn the heating up in winter, wear a few extra layers and supply both ourselves and our co-workers with a constant stream of hot drinks, construction workers must face the elements head-on. Even in the most adverse temperatures, the show must go on which can lead to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false},"categories":[58,14,1,15],"tags":[131,80,59,55,33],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/networkportfolio.co.uk\/ncinsurance.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2434"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/networkportfolio.co.uk\/ncinsurance.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/networkportfolio.co.uk\/ncinsurance.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/networkportfolio.co.uk\/ncinsurance.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/networkportfolio.co.uk\/ncinsurance.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2434"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/networkportfolio.co.uk\/ncinsurance.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2434\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2521,"href":"https:\/\/networkportfolio.co.uk\/ncinsurance.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2434\/revisions\/2521"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/networkportfolio.co.uk\/ncinsurance.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2434"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/networkportfolio.co.uk\/ncinsurance.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2434"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/networkportfolio.co.uk\/ncinsurance.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2434"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}