Rules for Working in Prolonged Cold

An outdoor workplace qualifies as cold if the expected daily mean temperature stays below +4 degrees C for more than half of the working time - in that case the employer must provide hourly rest breaks, hot tea and protective equipment against the cold. Work in a cold environment is prohibited for young workers and pregnant women.

With the arrival of winter weather and increasingly frequent frosty days, the adverse effects and the health and safety risks of working in the cold can intensify, which is why the Ministry for National Economy calls on employers to take the preventive measures needed to protect their workers.

At outdoor workplaces, weather conditions act directly on the worker's body; their effect is determined by climatic factors (air temperature, relative humidity, air flow velocity, etc.), the thermal insulation of clothing and the body's thermoregulation.

The dangers of a cold environment

The main danger of physical work in a cold environment is the cooling of body tissues, with the resulting discomfort and cold injury. An extremely cold environment can cause fatigue, increase hand tremor and reduce grip strength - all of which can contribute to hazardous situations.

Disruption of the body's heat balance can gradually lead to exhaustion: fatigue, impaired neuromuscular function, mental confusion, loss of consciousness, and finally a slowing of breathing and circulation.

When does a workplace qualify as cold?

An outdoor workplace qualifies as cold if the expected daily mean temperature stays below +4 degrees C for more than 50% of the working time. An indoor workplace qualifies as cold if the temperature stays below +10 degrees C for more than 50% of the working time.

Outdoor work: mandatory protective measures

• A cold work environment is one of the strains affecting workers, so a risk assessment must be carried out for it as well.
• At workplaces qualifying as cold, work must be organised so that rest breaks of at least 5 but no more than 10 minutes per hour are scheduled (even longer in extremely cold weather). Workers should spend the breaks in a rest area warmer than the surroundings (preferably heated, within the comfort zone) and equipped with suitable seating.
• When selecting and positioning heaters, care must be taken that they cannot contaminate the air of the workplace or rest area, or cause workers to overheat. The use of gas appliances must not endanger workers' health and safety.
• At workplaces qualifying as cold, hot tea (at a temperature of +50 degrees C) must also be provided, using individual cups.
• Based on the findings of the risk assessment, protective equipment and clothing against the cold may be required (e.g. a warm hat, winterised protective jacket or vest, cold-protection gloves, lined safety boots, etc.).
• When spending longer periods outdoors, it is important to keep moving the limbs and fingers: this stimulates circulation and raises body temperature.
• Alcohol consumption must be avoided especially in cold weather - and is of course prohibited under all other working conditions as well!
• In snowy weather, frozen snow and ice can fall from roofs and gutters onto passers-by and workers, and pavements and walkways can become slippery, so particular attention must be paid to the risk of slipping!
• During safety training, in addition to the hazards and preventive measures listed above, workers must be reminded to look out for one another and, in case of any health complaint, feeling unwell or injury, to stop the activity immediately and request workplace first aid or medical care. There should always be a mobile phone at the work site in case help needs to be called.

Indoor work

For indoor work, ensuring a suitable workplace climate is easier than outdoors. The temperature to be provided at an indoor workplace is determined by the nature of the work performed and the associated physical strain and exertion.

In the cold season, the workplace temperature to be provided is 20-22 degrees C for mental (office) work, 18-20 degrees C for light physical work, 14-18 degrees C for moderately heavy physical work, and 12-14 degrees C for heavy physical work. If the temperature appropriate to the nature of the work and the physical strain cannot be ensured indoors and the workplace qualifies as cold, the employer must take measures to prevent the adverse effects of the cold work environment.

In rooms with cold floors used for extended stays, adequate thermal insulation must be provided - taking the nature of the activity into account - to prevent cold discomfort and rheumatic-type complaints, in a way that does not compromise the safety of the work.

The development of unpleasant and unhealthy air movement (draught) must also be prevented: the maximum permitted air velocity is 1 m/s for sedentary (office) work and 2 m/s for physical work.