TEXASBOARS.COM

[TORO]

Sorry it took awhile but here's my safety brief on Cold Weather Related Stressors & Injuries. And yes it is quite long (again) but worth a read through.

Again, as the alternate safety rep for my work, it's mandated that annual training be accomplished on certain subject matters, and this is one of them.

Hope it helps some of the members out. Maybe not so much any more that it's getting warm again, but perhaps once it rolls around to Fall later this year.

Enjoy.....and be safe!

Cold Weather Stressors & Injuries

Typical cold weather casualty is: from a Southern state and wears cold weather gear when not needed

Cold Weather Injuries include:
Hypothermia, Chilblains, Trench/Immersion Foot, Frostnip, Frost bite, Snow Blindness, Carbon Monoxide Poisoning, and Dehydration.

HYPOTHERMIA
Hypothermia is the number one killer with a loss of 4 degrees or more of core body temperature.
CAUSE:
Prolonged exposure to the elements and core body heat loss. May even occur at temperatures above freezing if the individual’s skin or clothing is wet
SYMPTOMS:
Shivering, drowsiness, slow & shallow breathing, impaired mental judgment, loss of coordination, nausea, fatigue, irregular heart beat. May progress to unconsciousness and ultimately death.
TREATMENT:
End exposure, warm beverages, keep victim in warm & dry clothes, gradually warm the victim.

CHILBLAIN
CAUSE:
Continuous or repeated exposure of skin to cold/wet weather conditions at temperatures below 50 degrees for more than 1-5 hours
SYMPTOMS:
A: Swollen, red skin (or darkening of the skin in darker complected individuals) with rash like appearance.
B: Tender, painful skin. After rewarming, skin is red, hot & itchy.

TRENCH or IMMERSION FOOT
CAUSE:
A: Prolonged (12 hours or more) exposure of tissue, especially the feet to cold, wet conditions (32 – 60 degrees F).
B: Inactivity and damp socks and boots (or tightly laced boots that impair circulation)speed onset and severity.
SYMPTOMS:
A: Cold, numb feet that may progress to hot with shooting pains.
B: Swelling, redness and bleeding that may become pale and blue.
PREVENTION:
A: Keep feet clean & dry. Change wet or damp socks as soon as possible.
B: Let boots “breathe” at the end of the day so they can dry out. Swap out boots if an extra pair is available so that you are wearing one pair every other day.

FROSTBITE
True freezing injury of body tissue.Frostbite has claimed these areas when they become painless. Intense coldness followed by numbness.
CAUSE:
A: Exposure to below freezing temperatures causing freezing of skin, fingers, toes, ears and facial parts.
B: Exposure of skin to cold metal surfaces, super cold fuel & petroleum products, wind chill, and tight clothing (particularly boots) in cold weather environments.

SYMPTOMS OF SECOND DEGREE or SUPERFICIAL FROSTBITE:
A: Affects the entire epidermis. Frozen tissue feels wooden to the touch.
B: Skin redness in fair individuals, grayish discoloration in darker skinned individuals.
C: Clear blister formation at 24-36 hours followed by peeling skin.
D: Persistent cold sensitivity in the affected area.

SYMPTOMS OF THIRD & FOURTH DEGREE or DEEP FROSTBITE:
A: Loss of sensation with pale, yellow, waxy look if unthawed.
B: Poor capillary refill.
C: Hemorrhagic bullae (blood blisters) form in 3rd degree injuries at 12-35 hours unless re-warming is rapid.
D: Red discoloring 1-5 days after injury.
E: 4th degree is characterized by gangrene, necrosis, and auto amputation.
F: Permanent anatomic and functional loss.
PREVENTION:
A: Use contact gloves to handle all equipment. Never use bare hands.
B: Use approved gloves to handle all fuel & petroleum products.
C: Avoid wearing cotton clothing.
D: Keep socks clean & dry.
E: Avoid wearing tight socks & boots.

SNOW BLINDNESS
CAUSE:
Prolonged exposure to reflected or direct sunlight to the naked eye.
SYMPTOMS:
Excessive tearing, burning sensation of the eyes, actual temporary blinding.
PREVENTION:
Wearing of sunglasses that block UVA & UVB light(polarized lenses even better), wear headgear with a brim (a dark under brim soaks up harmful rays better than a light colored under brim).

CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING
A colorless, odorless and tasteless gas, carbon monoxide WILL kill you! Proper ventilation is the only prevention against this deadly gas, this includes structures, any running internal combustion engine and heaters.
SYMPTOMS:
Nausea, light headedness, drowsiness, headache, unconsciousness, blueish hue to the skin, nails and lips in particular (indicating a low oxygen saturation of the blood).
PREVENTION:
Proper ventilation of structures, running engines and heaters. If carbon monoxide poisoning is suspected IMMEDIATELY vacate the area. If unable to, open windows / doors to allow fresh air to flow through the area and turn off any engines or heaters.

(This is especially important to people that use portable heaters to keep their hunting blinds warm. You won't know that CO is present until it is possibly too late )

GENERAL COLD WEATHER INJURY PREVENTION TIPS
CLOTHING:
A: Change socks frequently, massage feet for 5 minutes to increase circulation. If possible, swap out boots for dry pair.
B: Don’t wear gloves/mittens that are too tight. If they are too tight, improper circulation is the result which can lead to frostbite.
C: Cover head & neck (80% of body heat lost through these areas)
D: Use synthetic fibers. Natural fibers retain moisture and have poor wicking ability. (Wool is the only natural fiber that allows heat retention after becoming wet. However, once wet, you will lose more body heat than what is retained if wearing wool.)
E: Keep your clothing clean. Clean items provide a better insulating factor.
F: Avoid overheating by wearing loose, layered clothing preferably topped by a windproof outer layer. Several loose, light layers provide better thermal retention than a few heavy layers.
G: Keep your clothing as dry as possible.

PREVENTION FOR ALL COLD WEATHER INJURIES
A: Use contact gloves to handle all equipment, never use bare hands. Mittens are actually better at keeping hands warm than gloves due to the cumulative warmth of the fingers touching each other.
B: In extremely cold environments, do NOT remove clothing immediately after heavy exertion. Wait until you are inside a warm environment.
C: Avoid wearing cotton clothing (which holds perspiration) in cold weather climates.

NUTRTION & HYDRATION
A: Adequate nutrition. Sometimes anywhere from 3,000 – 4,000 calories per day are required dependent upon activity level is required to offset the increase in metabolic rate.
B: Adequate hydration & rest. Avoid alcoholic beverages as these actually inhibit the metabolic processes (and your brain) required to stay warm. In addition, consumption of alcohol in cold weather often gives a false sense of warmth throwing off your boy’s thermal regulatory processes.

SELF & OTHERS
A: Check on your buddy / partner .
B: Previous cold weather exposure and experience help modify the risk factors of cold weather exposure.
C: Direct body contact (skin on skin) is the best and safest way too warm up. (Tell that to your wives/girlfriends next time they say they are cold )
_________________
2012 Hog Totals=70
2013 Hog Totals=31
Fences fixed=1.9 miles
ATV Miles=338

[CyberSniper]

Made this a sticky, as we did the hot weather one you did last time.
Thanks for both.
_________________
TB Forum Janitor

[TORO]

Edited the original post as I forgot some items.

And thanks for the sticky

I try to help out the members when I can, even though it may only be through posts
_________________
2012 Hog Totals=70
2013 Hog Totals=31
Fences fixed=1.9 miles
ATV Miles=338