When is it too cold to work?

Is working in the cold bad for your health?

Working in the cold can be bad for your health and can cause you to get unwell, such as catching the flu. Working in the cold can also be bad for your health in  terms of your physical health. For example, where your working in cold weather due to changes in weather conditions, the risk of a workplace accident increases. The most common non-fatal accidents at work in Scotland , for example over 2020/21 were:

• slips
• trips
• falls

Slips, trips and falls can be caused by cold and wintery weather conditions such as:

• rain
• wind
• black ice
• snow

Working in the cold can be bad for your health as it can also increase the risk of accidents such as fall and accidents using machinery. For example, rain and ice can make surfaces slippery, so construction workers may fall from ladders. Also, when using machinery at work., workers can have an accident through slipping on ice. 

Also, if you are an older worker, such as one nearing pension age, working in the cold can be particularly bad for your health. This is because it can be hard for you to notice how cold your body is. It also takes you longer to warm up than other people when you work in the cold. Working in the cold can cause poor health in elderly people, which includes:

• risk of a heart attack
• having a stroke
• getting pneumonia
• feeling depressed
• a person's arthritis getting worse

How does working in the cold affect your body?

Working in the cold can affect your body and cause you to be prone to an accident or injury at work.  It can also expose you to illnesses.

Cold work can affect you in terms of getting hypothermia. This is because your body loses heat quickly and starts to use stored energy. Hypothermia can be very dangerous and can affect the brain.

There is also a risk when working in the cold that you get frostbite. Freezing causes frostbite and it affects areas of the body such as:

• nose
• ears
• cheeks
• fingers
• toes
• chin

Frostbite can lead to tissue damage and even amputations.

Working in cold weather can also affect the body through the risk of getting trench foot. This is also called immersion foot. This can occur when feet are wet in cold water and cause skin tissues to die. 

Chilblains are also a risk when you work in cold weather, This affects your capillary beds, which are blood vessels. It damages these and can affect your:

• cheeks
• ears
• fingers
• toes 

Are there benefits to working in the cold?

Although working in the cold can cause accidents at work and cause poor health, there are some benefits to working in the cold. These include:

• being able to think more clearly in cooler temperatures
• potential weight loss as your body works harder in the cold
• less allergy symptoms as there is virtually no pollen in the snow season
• less inflammation because in the way an ice pack reduces swelling, the cold air does the same to your joints
• better skin as working in the cold constricts blood vessels

What is the law for working in cold temperatures?

It is one thing to offer tips for working in the cold and to point out the dangers, but what about the law? There are laws about working in cold temperatures. The law says that when you work, the temperature of indoor places should be reasonable. Health and safety law also says that the temperature must be comfortable and that the air should be fresh and clean. 

What temperature is too cold to work in?

Even though the law says that you should work at a temperature which is reasonable, there is no legal minimum or maximum working temperature. However, there is guidance for employers which states that the temperature should be no lower than 16 C and if your work is physical in nature it should be no lower than 13c. 

How to claim for a cold weather work accident?

As working in cold weather can increase the risk of an accident or injury in the workplace, you may be able to make an accident at work compensation claim. Your work is the way you make a living and of course you do it on  a regular basis. You should be able to feel safe at work and not expect to have an accident in the workplace or suffer from ill health, such as a slip, trip or fall. Unfortunately, however, during winter time the risk of an accident such as these increases considerably. 

If you do suffer an accident in the cold at work, you may need to make significant changes to your life. This can include adjustments to things you use such as your car and can even mean you cannot go to work. Therefore, an accident at work in  the cold can affect your earnings so all the more important you get the compensation you deserve.

We make it simple to make an accident at work claim. Our claim process is simple and we work with you all the way. You can even calculate what potential compensation you might get by using our online compensation calculator. 

The first thing to do when you want  to make an accident in the cold claim with National Accident Helpline is to speak to one of our sympathetic telephone advisors. They will listen to how your accident in the cold happened and start the process of assessing whether you can make a claim for compensation. Our expert solicitors will then complete your compensation claim working with you all the way to ensure they get the evidence they need and process your claim as soon as possible. 

Did you know that you may even be able to make your accident at work claim on a no win no fee basis? When you make a no win no fee claim with us your personal injury lawyer will take out insurance on your behalf that will cover all your claim costs and expenses including medical report fees, court fees and any barrister fees; so long as you comply with their terms and conditions, you won't have to pay any costs upfront, and there are no hidden surprises. Call us today at , or request a call back here.