Are you looking for a contractor?
Submit our quick form and get quotes now!
Working in Cold Weather - Gearing Up for Winter Outdoor Work
By Editorial Team
Updated on January 14, 2025

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

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?

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:
How to Protect Yourself from Crystalline Silica While Working Construction
Assembling Safe and Compliant Scaffolding for Yourself and Your Team
What Are the Other Hazards of Outdoor Winter Work?

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

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:
Looking for something else?
Related articles
The latest industry news, interviews, technologies, and resources.

Cynthia Pigeon
•17 May 2024
In the past, concrete, rigid insulation, and waterproofing systems were largely underdeveloped. Consequently, houses couldn't be built directly on the ground. Therefore, to protect homes from water infiltration and excess humidity, they were built over crawl spaces. However, with today's building materials and techniques, having this type of feature built is no longer necessary. Moreover, crawl spaces are notorious for their drawbacks, rather than for their advantages.

Cynthia Pigeon
•29 Feb 2024
By adding a bit of greenery to your roof, you’re allowing nature to take back its course, to return where it was once unwelcomed.

Cynthia Pigeon
•29 Feb 2024
By adding a bit of greenery to your roof, you’re allowing nature to take back its course, to return where it was once unwelcomed.

Editorial Team
•03 Jul 2024
As a construction contractor, you’re likely committed to growing your business over the years and increasing the size of your customer base.

Editorial Team
•18 Dec 2024
The Government of Quebec initiated its energy transition in the last few years, encouraging consumers to pivot toward green energy solutions. Green projects are focused on clean energy, also highlighting transportation electrification. To promote new construction projects in an effort to keep up with the trend, subsidies and financial assistance have been made available.