Working in Cold Weather Toolbox Talk
Cold, wet and windy weather drains your body heat faster than you think. Cold makes your hands clumsy, slows your thinking, and turns surfaces into ice rinks. Today we cover how to stay warm and spot cold stress early.
Takes about 7 minutes, plus a 5-question quiz.
What happened: a real incident
In October 2023, a worker in British Columbia was alone installing a vapour barrier in a house under construction while it was well below freezing outside. To keep warm and power his tools, he ran a gas powered generator inside with the doors and windows closed, and carbon monoxide built up. He was found dead in the basement the next day. WorkSafeBC found the employer had done no hazard assessment, given no training on the generator, and had no check-in system for someone working alone.
Source: WorkSafeBC
Key points to read out
- Dress in layers: a base layer that wicks sweat, a warm middle layer, and a windproof and waterproof outer.
- Wear a warm hat or helmet liner and gloves that still let you grip tools safely.
- Change out of wet clothes as soon as you can. Wet clothes pull heat out of you fast.
- Wind chill makes it feel much colder than the temperature says. Plan for it.
- Take warm breaks in a heated area and have warm drinks. Avoid alcohol, which makes you lose heat faster.
- Hypothermia signs: uncontrollable shivering, confusion, slurred speech and clumsiness. Get them warm and get help.
- Frostbite signs: numb, white or waxy skin on fingers, toes, ears and nose. Warm gently, do not rub.
- Check for ice and frost on scaffolds, ladders, roofs and walkways before using them. Grit or clear them first.
- Never run fuel heaters or generators in enclosed spaces. Carbon monoxide kills.
- Carbon monoxide has no smell. Headache, dizziness, sleepiness and nausea in a heated space mean get outside now and get help. Use a CO alarm wherever a heater runs.
- Nobody works alone in the cold without a check-in. Agree who calls whom, and how often, before the shift starts.
- Keep spare dry gloves, socks and a hat on site. Wet hands and feet lose heat many times faster.
- Eat properly and drink warm, sweet drinks. Your body burns more fuel to stay warm.
- Plan the work for the warmest part of the day, and rotate people out of the wind and cold.
- Machines, tools and fuel behave differently in the cold. Let hydraulics warm up and check that brakes and steps are free of ice.
Questions to ask the crew
- What are you wearing today to stay warm and dry?
- Where can we warm up on this site?
- Which surfaces are likely to ice over first?
- What are the signs that someone is getting too cold?
- Where are heaters or generators running on this site, and is the area ventilated?
How to run this talk
- Run the talk in the warm-up area so everyone knows where it is, then walk to the iciest spots on site.
- Check today's temperature and wind chill together and agree the warm break schedule.
- Show the spare dry gloves, socks and hats, and where the CO alarm and heaters are.
- Agree the check-in plan for anyone working alone: who calls whom, and how often.
- Ask each person to name one sign of hypothermia or frostbite.
- Record attendance, conditions and the check-in plan on the sign-in sheet.
Working in Cold Weather quiz
Ask these after the talk. Answers are underneath each question.
Which signs point to hypothermia?
- Sweating and a red face
- Uncontrollable shivering, confusion, slurred speech and clumsiness
- A runny nose only
Answer: B. Hypothermia slows the brain and muscles, so confusion and clumsiness are warning signs to get the person warm and get help.
A workmate has white, waxy, numb fingers. What should you do?
- Rub them hard to get the blood going
- Warm them gently and get medical help
- Hold them near a heater as close as possible
Answer: B. Rubbing and direct high heat damage frozen tissue further, so warm frostbite gently and get it checked.
It is freezing and you are working inside an unfinished house. Can you run a petrol generator inside to power a heater?
- Yes, if the door is open a crack
- No, fuel engines and heaters indoors can kill with carbon monoxide
- Yes, if it is only for an hour
Answer: B. Carbon monoxide has no smell and builds up fast in closed spaces, and it can kill a worker before they notice anything is wrong.
Your gloves and socks are soaked by mid morning. What is the best move?
- Keep going, they will dry
- Change into the spare dry ones as soon as you can
- Put them on the heater and keep working bare handed
Answer: B. Wet clothing pulls heat out of your body many times faster than dry clothing.
Someone has to work alone on a cold site today. What must be in place?
- Nothing, they are experienced
- A check-in system agreed before the shift starts
- A text at the end of the day
Answer: B. If someone gets hypothermia or CO poisoning alone, a regular check-in is what gets help to them in time.
Questions about working in cold weather
What temperature is too cold to work outside?
There is no single national minimum temperature for outdoor work in Canada, so the rules depend on your province. In British Columbia, employers must have a cold exposure control plan where workers may face cold stress, and provide a heated shelter nearby when the wind chill is below minus 7°C. Source: WorkSafeBC, OHS Regulation Part 7.
What are the signs of hypothermia?
Early signs are shivering, tiredness, confusion and fumbling hands. As it gets worse, shivering can stop, speech slurs, and the person may become drowsy or lose consciousness. Get them out of the cold, replace wet clothing, warm them gradually and call emergency services if the signs are more than mild.
What is the first aid for frostbite?
Get the person somewhere warm, remove wet or tight clothing, and warm the affected area gently, for example in warm (not hot) water or against warm skin. Do not rub it, do not use direct high heat, and do not rewarm it if there is a chance it will freeze again. Get medical help.
How do you prevent carbon monoxide poisoning from heaters on site?
Never run fuel heaters, generators or petrol tools in enclosed or poorly ventilated spaces, and keep exhausts away from doors, windows and air intakes. Use a carbon monoxide alarm wherever a fuel heater runs. Headache, dizziness, sleepiness or nausea in a heated space mean get everyone outside and get help.
What the law says in Canada
Provinces set their own cold stress rules. In British Columbia, Part 7 of the OHS Regulation requires employers to assess cold stress and put a cold exposure control plan in place wherever workers may face cold stress or injury, with a heated shelter nearby when the wind chill is below minus 7°C. Workers must wear adequate insulating clothing, and anyone showing signs of cold stress must be removed from the cold and given first aid or medical care.
Sign-in sheet
Print this page or download the sign-in sheet. Or run it in the app and the crew signs on the phone.
| Name | Company | Signature |
|---|---|---|
Get it signed
Run this talk in the app. The crew signs on your phone and you get a dated attendance record as a PDF.