Your Guide to Cold Weather Layering

Scientific advances in clothing design and effective layering techniques that simplify staying warm as well as mobile enough allow jobs to be safely performed. Both are, effectively, regulatory requirements. While the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration doesn’t have a specific rule governing work in cold environments, its mandate for hazard-free workplaces holds employers responsible for protecting workers from dangerously low temperatures, which can lead to health problems such as trench foot, frostbite, and hypothermia and, in some cases, prove fatal. MSC & OMNIA Partners have you covered, with everything from base-layer shirts to coats, boots and gloves. Click here to view additional solutions.  

This mandate also covers safety gear that leaves workers with sufficient dexterity to do their jobs, without injury, a requirement that’s spelled out separately in some of the agency’s regulations. 

“Layering protective clothing during winter is a tried-and-true way to maximize your comfort when working outdoors or in an unconditioned environment,” a representative of professional apparel maker Polartec wrote in a column for Safety + Health magazine, a publication of the National Safety Council. “The layers need to work well together to offer adequate warmth and breathability, while not being overly bulky and making it uncomfortable to move and work.” 

Workplace safety experts from OSHA to personal protective equipment makers recommend at least three layers of clothing, with none fitting tightly enough to inhibit circulation of blood to legs, arms, hands and feet. 

The tiers of winter clothing should include: 

• Inner layer: Garments next to the body should be made of wool, silk or synthetic material to keep moisture away from the skin, OSHA says. “The No. 1 problem workers have when working out in cold conditions is, plot twist, overheating,” Al Buczkowski of Ergodyne says in a podcast posted on the company’s website. “That’s because once you start working and you do not have a smart layering system, there is no place for that heat to go and you’re in for a sweaty spiral of regret.” 
• Middle layer: OSHA recommends garments of wool, fleece or synthetic material that provide insulation even when wet. The middle layer, in many cases, comprises the garments you typically wear to work: pants, shirt and maybe a hoodie, says Ergodyne’s Buczkowski. The layer should be low profile rather than bulky so that it fits comfortably under a jacket, he explains.
   
• Outer layer: This layer, typically consisting of coats, jackets and insulated vests, protects the wearer from wind and rain but still allows ventilation to prevent overheating, OSHA explains. 

While working in wintry conditions is unavoidable in many parts of the United States, failing to take adequate precautions can be both dangerous and costly. In 2020 alone, businesses reported 190 cases of employees losing at least one day of work because of exposure to environmental cold, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

Employees working in cold conditions should “be prepared to immediately notify their supervisor, provide first aid and seek prompt medical assistance,” when needed, the occupational safety and health institute says. “Prevention is the best way to avoid cold-related illness and injury.” 

Along with dressing correctly for work in cold, wet, or windy conditions, OSHA recommends the following precautions: 

• Monitoring your physical condition and that of your co-workers. 
• Taking regular breaks to warm up. 
• Staying dry. Remember that moisture or dampness—from sweating, for instance—can accelerate heat loss. 
• Keeping extra clothing (including underwear) nearby in case you do get wet and need to change. 
• Drinking warm, sweetened nonalcoholic fluids. 
• Avoiding contact between bare skin and cold metal or wet surfaces. 
• Using safe work practices, engineering controls and personal protective equipment provided by your employer.  

About MSC & OMNIA Partners 

Through the power of partnership with OMNIA Partners, MSC provides a variety maintenance, repair and operations products and services to local government entities, K-12 educational facilities, higher education institutions, and nonprofits. This competitively solicited and publicly awarded cooperative contract reduces the cost of goods and services by aggregating the collective buying power of public sector agencies and streamlining the buying process. Click here to learn more about how MSC can provide solutions for your worksite safety!

Brought to you by: