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Working in Cold Weather - Gearing Up for Winter Outdoor Work

By Editorial Team

Updated on January 14, 2025

**Mots-clés (Français) :**   travailleurs de la construction, nettoyage de chantier, sécurité au travail, gilets haute visibilité, balayeuses de chantier, équipement de sécurité, site de construction, gestion des déchets, travail en extérieur, entretien du chantier, construction sécuritaire, bottes de sécurité, casques de protection, équipe de chantier, nettoyage professionnel.  **Keywords (English) :**   construction workers, site cleaning, workplace safety, high-visibility vests, construction brooms, safety equipment, construction site, waste management, outdoor work, site maintenance, safe construction, safety boots, protective helmets, construction team, professional cleaning.  **Bannière Alt (Français) :**   Travailleurs de la construction nettoyant un chantier avec balais et portant des équipements de sécurité.  **Banner Alt (English) :**   Construction workers cleaning a site with brooms and wearing safety equipment.

The Canadian weather is what it is, and construction and renovation industry workers performing outdoor jobs will inevitably be exposed to the wintertime cold. Protection measures are crucial since extreme cold weather can cause severe, even fatal, injuries. Frostbite, hypothermia, and increased exposure to carbon monoxide are just a few of the risks associated with working in cold temperatures. 

This article will cover the following themes: 

  • How can workers gear up to work in low temperatures?

  • What weather conditions wreak havoc on workers’ health?

  • What are the rules regarding working outdoors in the cold in Canada?

  • What does the CNESST have to say about it?

Let’s bundle up and get down to business!

Cold Temperature Exposure: Workplace Regulations in Canada

Team of construction professionals reviewing a site plan on a winter construction site.

Source: Menuiserie CJV 

If we were to halt all construction and renovation jobs because it’s cold outside, we would struggle to complete any projects in Canada. The cold weather season is drawn out and as unpredictable as it gets. Some years, the weather dips below zero right around November, ensuring our lawns are coated in snow until April. Businesses must adapt and are mandated to provide their employees with safe working conditions to perform their duties.

To stay warm at work, you have to bundle up, be fully equipped, and in certain situations, tailor your work pace and methods used. For example, avoid spending long periods on a motionless task, or alternate between indoor and outdoor work throughout the same day, giving yourself or your employees a break, allowing them to warm up and mitigating the risks of frostnip or frostbite.

What Are the Effects of Prolonged Exposure to Low Temperatures?

In the mildest cases, one can suffer from frostnip, which takes the skin a few minutes to return to normal once warm again. After prolonged periods of exposure, injuries can range from permanent bodily injuries to amputations due to a lack of blood flow.

Frostnip or frostbite most often affects the following body parts:

  • Hands

  • Nose

  • Cheeks

  • Feet

  • Ears

As for hypothermia, it is considered a medical emergency since it can have serious health effects, and in the worst case scenarios, can be fatal.

How to Spot the Warning Signs of Hypothermia

Here’s how to recognize the signs of hypothermia if you or a coworker (or employee) shows any of the following symptoms after working in cold conditions:

  • Cold extremities

  • Numbness

  • Difficulty speaking

  • Loss of motor skills

  • Can’t focus, appears exhausted, and strange behaviour

  • Frostbite

  • Decreased heart rate and shallow breaths

  • Stiffening muscles

  • Intense shivering or shaking

  • Loss of consciousness

Noticing one or more of the symptoms mentioned above? Don’t wait, call emergency services right away. The situation may escalate in no time. While waiting for help to arrive, listen to what the operator is saying on the other end of the line. They will most likely tell you to move the individual to a heated area to provide first aid.

What Type of Equipment Should You Use When Working in Cold Weather?

Since construction and renovation projects aren’t completely halted during the wintertime, equipment companies have clever designs tailored to their power tools and devices. What first comes to mind are tools with handles made of materials that are low cold conductors (plastic, wood). These are much easier to use if the surrounding air cools everything it touches.

All cold surfaces, especially metal handles, should be replaced or covered with insulation material during the winter to prevent direct contact with the body. If you absolutely must use unsuitable devices or tools, make sure your hands are covered with good winter work gloves.

When possible, set up a space heater to warm up select workstations. Make sure the space is well-ventilated to prevent other issues, such as carbon monoxide poisoning—see below.

What Kind of Workwear Is Most Effective Against Cold Weather?

Every worker carrying out outdoor duties should be equipped with a good winter jacket, gloves, headgear (hat, helmet), insulated work boots, and a neck warmer (the latter should not risk getting caught in machinery). Wearing layers of clothing prevents heat loss, provided that you're adjusting throughout the day, peeling back or adding on layers to keep dry or warm accordingly.

Bear in mind that being too warm while exposed to cold air can be hazardous. Excessive sweating and damp clothing can increase the risks of frostbite and hypothermia. It’s important to stay aware of your physical well-being and consider factors like the wind chill.

Working in Cold Weather: What Does the CNESST Recommend?

CNESST

Source : CNESST

The Commission des normes, de l'équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail is an organization that enforces compliance with Quebec’s labour laws.

Given that the cold impacts the working conditions of a lot of employees in several different fields, especially the construction and renovation industries, the CNESST established rules and recommendations regarding working in cold weather. Said rules are issued in line with Section 51 of the Act Respecting Occupational Health and Safety.

Avoid Getting Cold While Working: Rules and Prevention Measures

According to the CNESST, cold weather exposure is defined by the following criteria:

  • Air temperature

  • Wind speed (wind chill)

  • Humidity level

Whenever possible, jobsite superintendents must mitigate the impact that the three aforementioned factors have on their employees’ working conditions. To do so, they’re responsible for providing proper protective workwear, adequate equipment, safe working practices, and meticulous planning for every job phase, preventing cold weather exposure for long periods of time. 

If a jobsite calls for more than 10 workers at once, a health and safety representative must be assigned. To learn more about it, check out The Role of a Health and Safety Representative.

Frostbite and Hypothermia Prevention

Have you no way around carrying out outdoor jobs on extremely cold days? Limit the steps as much as you can, taking care of essentials only to keep your exposure to the cold to a minimum. Dress warmly, stay hydrated, and plan your movements accordingly. Ideally, there will be more than just you, so that everyone can monitor each other’s condition, spotting any of the warning signs of hypothermia before it’s too late.

How to Treat Frostbite and Hypothermia

If you suspect hypothermia, contact emergency services immediately. Follow the first aid instructions provided by the operator while waiting for first responders to arrive.

As for frostbite, start by moving the individual to a warmer area and performing a few body-warming techniques. If the frostbite appears superficial, create warmth with your clean hands, or place a lukewarm compress over the affected area(s). Remove all damp clothing, give the individual a warm (near lukewarm) beverage, and if their condition doesn’t improve, call 9-1-1.

Key Employer Guidelines

Below are the preventative measures that contractors must implement for their employees if they have to work in cold weather:

  • Heat the workstation, if possible

  • Provide workers with temporary, heated shelters (such as tents)

  • Cover handles and metal bars with insulation

  • Make sure all workers are wearing weather- and job-appropriate clothing (for example, several layers of dry clothes and headgear)

  • Alternate periods of work and breaks, allowing workers to warm up

  • Reorganize the job schedule to carry out outdoor tasks during the warmer periods of the day

Source: CNESST

Other articles to read about workplace hazards regulated by the CNESST:

What Are the Other Hazards of Outdoor Winter Work?

View of a residential construction site with a wooden frame under assembly on a snowy landscape.

Source : Réno-Construction Max

Planning on carrying out winter outdoor work? While not impossible, do so wisely as the risks are greater than during the other six months out of the year. Making irrational decisions while performing outdoor winter work increases the risks of a cold injury.

Below are potential scenarios:

Snow Shovelling Injury

Before carrying out some jobs, you may be required to shovel snow that's preventing you from gaining access to certain areas. Every year, people are injured while shovelling due to bad posture, working too fast, freezing because they stayed out too long, and working inefficiently.

Below are some tips and tricks, courtesy of the Ordre professionnel de la physiothérapie du Québec (professional association of physiotherapists of Quebec):

  • Warm up for a few minutes, just like you would before a workout

  • Dress appropriately to prevent frostnip, frostbite

  • Have to right equipment (snow shovel, sleigh shovel, ergonomic shovel, lightweight shovel, ice chopper)

  • Use a snowblower if you’re suffering from cardiovascular problems

  • Keep your feet apart

  • Take breaks every 1–2 minutes

  • Stay hydrated

  • Avoid rotating or twisting your torso

Slipping on a Patch of Ice

Freeze-thaw cycling is no stranger to wintertime, giving way to water puddles freezing into ice patches on the ground. One wrong step and down you go, twisted ankle, head injury, or broken finger. To prevent such injuries, make sure to break any visible ice patches and wear boots with skid-proof soles. At times, crampons can be rather useful. 

A Chunk of Ice Falls on You from the Roof

Are you forced to work under ice dams? Proceed with caution as chunks could fall and injure those standing underneath. If possible, break the ice damming around the edge of your roof or avoid working directly beneath chunks of ice overhanging the edge of the roof. 

Falling Off the Roof

Reroofing is advised against during the wintertime. However, you may need to carry out urgent repairs in cold weather, while temperatures drop below the freezing point and stagnant rooftop water freezes. To avoid injuries, make sure that there are no hazardous ice patches on which you could slip or worse, fall off the roof.

Check out this article for more information on the subject matter: How to Limit the Risk of Injuries During Renovations.

Greater Risk of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

Worker in high-visibility clothing using a shovel to clear snow from stairs during winter conditions.

Now that’s something we don’t often think about in the wintertime. Picture this: you’re working in an unheated, enclosed workplace and it's below 20 outside. Your boss decides to set up a space heater to warm up your workstation a bit, thinking you’ll be able to work longer without having a rest schedule.

Unknowingly, if the area lacks decent airflow, the people working inside may be exposed to dangerous levels of carbon monoxide. Be careful, carbon monoxide poisoning can be deceitful and once the damage is done, it’s often too late to fix.

Look out for the following symptoms if you suspect possible poisoning: 

  • Headache

  • Fatigue

  • Nausea

  • Vomiting

  • Chest pain

  • Paralysis

  • Loss of consciousness

  • Blurred vision

To prevent these situations from happening, set up a carbon monoxide detector in the affected area and make sure the space is always properly ventilated.

FAQ About Outdoor Winter Renovation Work

What is the coldest legal temperature you can work in?

Cold weather-related physical problems tend to occur once the temperature dips below 5 °C, meaning almost every winter day in Canada is a health hazard, including many a spring or fall day. Employers are allowed to have their employees carry out their duties outdoors provided that they have given them the right equipment to offset any risks to their health. Next, all non-urgent work must halt as soon as the temperature hits -43 °C, excluding the wind chill factor (source).

Is it illegal for construction workers to work in cold conditions?

No. If all construction and renovation jobsites were halted on account of cold weather, Canada wouldn’t get much done. However, there are rules and guidelines to follow. 

Can I refuse to work in extreme cold weather, and what are my rights?

Is your boss not providing you with adequate working conditions to perform outdoor jobs? Speak with a workplace health and safety representative to see what can be done regarding your specific situation. If you’re an employer, you can reach out to the same organization to learn more about the guidelines to implement.

For more information about workplace accidents and occupational injuries, check out this article: 

Handling a Work-Related Accident on a Construction Site

What sort of jobs shouldn’t be done outside during the winter?

Contrary to popular belief, a lot of renovation work is done over the wintertime. However, some projects aren’t weather-favourable when the temperature dips below zero.

Unless you’re carrying out emergency repairs, undertaking roof-related jobs is advised against, as well as asphalt paving, exterior finishes, and landscaping when the cold weather has set in. Albeit, wintertime construction and renovation do have certain upsides, as detailed in this article: 

5 Reasons Why You Should Renovate During the Winter


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