Winter work hazards: Inadequate PPE

Should PPE be different in winter and summer?

PPE stands for personal protective equipment, which is used in workplaces to help prevent accidents and ensure you stay safe and protected. Wearing some PPE can be challenging when temperatures change in the UK, such as when there are cold and wintery weather conditions as you need to try to keep warm. Equally, working in the heat may make wearing PPE in summer difficult so it is important in hot weather to wear lightweight and breathable PPE.

If you work outside in the winter, PPE will often be necessary because of winter work hazards. However, temperatures may fall as low as 0 - 7C so it is crucial to wear PPE that keeps you warm. This can mean adding clothing to your usual PPE at work, such as:

• gloves;
• thermal clothing
• fleece jackets
• thermal socks

However, in addition to adding items to wear to keep you warm working in winter, you can wear specific PPE that protects you from winter elements. For example, the use of hard hat liners, which means that when you wear a hard hat, your head, neck and ears are kept warm.

You can also layer your PPE at work to ensure you stay warm but still safe working in the cold. For example, wear a:

• base layer such as something made of wool, silk, or polypropylene
• loose-fitting middle layer in wool or silk
• an outer layer that protects you from wind and rain but also protects you from overheating yet has ventilation

How does cold affect the body?

Working in the cold can affect your body in many ways and can also cause an accident or injury at work. It could even cause death. Some of the ways the cold affects your body are by:

• causing frostbite
• restricting your movement
• making it more difficult to concentrate at work
• causing hypothermia
• causing carbon monoxide poisoning 
• making blood clot as it gets thicker in cold weather
• causing heart attacks and strokes due to blood clotting
• preventing your body from fighting infections
• creating risks of developing skin infections such as pneumonia and other lung conditions

What PPE is required for cold weather? 

Specific PPE is used for cold weather work, which protects you from the cold by providing cold resistance and other important protection. As mentioned earlier, hard hat liners are an example of this. Other types of winter PPE which can be required in cold weather include:

• anti-exposure work suits for wet work in prolonged conditions
• insulated gloves to help prevent frostbite
• multilayering clothes
• eye protection such as UV safety glasses where you are at risk of snow blindness

In addition to layering your PPE in the winter months and adding to PPE by wearing extra clothes such as gloves, you should also look out for the correct EN standards on PPE. Specific EN  standards are suitable for winter work. These are as follows:

• EN42 for low air temperatures, air velocity and air humidity
• EN 343 for water-resistant PPE and below-zero temperatures while remaining breathable
• EN 20471 for being seen at night as these relate to high-visibility clothing

What is a cold injury?

A cold injury is where you experience an injury due to cold conditions, such as freezing or wet conditions. It normally affects your hands and feet. For example, a freezing cold injury such as frostnip or frostbite or a non-freezing cold injury such as immersion foot or trench foot.  

It is crucial to identify and treat a cold injury as soon as possible; otherwise, it could cause a worse injury stopping you from working such as an amputation. 

Think you might be able to claim for a work accident?

Winter work can significantly increase the risk of an accident or injury in the workplace. If you have suffered a workplace injury within the last three years, which was not your fault, you may be able to make an accident at work compensation claim. Working in cold conditions is not pleasant but you should not expect to have an accident in the workplace or suffer from ill health as a result. Your employer has a legal duty to do what they reasonably can to keep you well and safe in the workplace and this includes during the winter months.

If you do suffer an accident or injury in the cold at work, due to poor PPE, it can affect your whole life. You may have to stop work, so you lose out on earnings. It is, therefore, essential you get the compensation you deserve.

At National Accident Helpline, it is really easy to make an accident at work claim. Our claim process is straightforward. First, you will speak to one of our knowledgeable and understanding telephone advisors and tell them how your accident happened. They will see whether you can make an accident at work claim for compensation. Next, our experienced solicitors will work with you to complete your compensation claim. In the meantime, you can calculate your compensation using our online compensation calculator. 

It is even possible to make an 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. This covers all your claim costs and expenses, such as medical report fees. You must ensure you abide by their terms and conditions, so you will have no costs upfront to pay and no hidden surprises. 

Call us today at to make your accident at work compensation claim. Or you can request a call back here if it is easier.