THE SCIENCE OF STAYING WARM WHILE WORKING IN THE COLD

Whether you're working in the great outdoors or in the eternal winter of a cold storage warehouse, working in the cold is no walk in the park.

But, if you understand all the ways the cold can steal your body heat, then you can guard against them and stay toasty warm, even in subzero temperatures.

Feeling skeptical? Not to worry, we'll explain.

Why Does Your Body Lose Heat When You're Working in the Cold?

Yes, the cold air around you makes you cold, but that’s only because your body loses heat in more than one way. Did you know that there are actually 5 different ways that the cold can steal your body heat?

Yep, it's true. Here's how:

Radiation

This is the heat that's lost from exposed skin. If there's nothing covering your skin, body heat rises right off your skin and radiates away from your body.

Convection

This is the heat lost from wind displacing a layer of warm air near your skin. Add convection processes to the radiation process above and heat is rising up and blowing away faster than your body can make more heat.

Evaporation

This is the heat lost when your body loses water from sweating. In the summer, this process is highly efficient at keeping you cool. In cold working conditions, sweating in your gear and keeping that moisture near your skin makes you colder and increased your risk of cold-related illness or injury.

Respiration

This is heat lost from breathing cold air.

Conduction

This is heat lost though contact with a colder object such as cold floors, frozen ground or cold metal tools and equipment.

All of these factors cause your body to lose heat but if one of them, such as convection from cold winds is exaggerated, then you’ll lose heat even faster. For example, you dress differently for a day that is 32°F with no wind than you would for 32°F with 15MPH winds (that’s why the weatherman reports on wind chill).

First, Guard Against Radiation and Convection

Radiation and convection heat loss is what we take the most care to protect against. After all, convection is why we wear insulated work jackets and base layers, while radiation heat loss is why we cover our head, ears and hands on cold days.

Choose an insulated work jacket that is comfort rated to match both the temperatures you’re facing and your activity level. The key is to make sure the jacket traps warm air inside and seals out drafts, because it’s actually the air inside the jacket that keeps you warm.

Stop this kind of heat loss by protecting the areas of your body that are normally exposed, such as your hands, head, ears and throat, by covering them with insulated gloves, a wool cap, thermal balaclava or fleece neck gaiter.

Next, Block Heat Loss from Conduction

In almost every activity you do, your hands and feet come into contact with other surfaces. And in the winter (or in a cold storage freezer), those surfaces are likely to be very cold. From the ground and sidewalks to opening doors and holding tools, every surface you touch can transfer cold to your body through conduction.

Block heat loss from conduction with the right insulated work gloves for your job. Look for insulated work gloves that are comfort rated to handle the temperatures you’ll be working in. You’ll also want to look for an extended cuff that covers your wrist and doesn’t leave a gap of exposed skin between the edge of your glove and the end of your jacket sleeve.

Choosing the right work boot is a little tricker. For example, an outdoor hiking boot that works well in the summer may not be right for the winter if the sole of the boot isn’t tempered against the cold. Most rubber is more conductive than some composites, and some rubber soles will also crack in the cold, leaving your feet vulnerable.

Block Heat Loss from Evaporation and Respiration

Staying hydrated and keeping your nose and mouth covered will protect you from heat loss from evaporation and respiration.

Most people don’t think about staying hydrated when it’s cold, but any loss of water inside your body will quickly add to heat loss. If you’re working hard and sweating even a little bit, always keep a bottle of water with you to rehydrate. Even if you’re engaging in casual outdoor activities, remember that a dehydrated body is a cold body.

When you're working a freezer (or when your outdoor job is as cold as a freezer), you can’t really avoid breathing in cold air. But as long as you’re keeping your core warm, then you can minimize heat loss through respiration by wearing a mask or balaclava over your nose and mouth. A neck gaiter may also be used, not only to protect your neck from the cold, but to keep your throat warm.

Put Your Knowledge to Work

Now that you understand the science of how your body loses heat when you're working in cold temperatures, you can take steps to hold on to more of it. Choose insulated coveralls, jackets, gloves, and boots from RefrigiWear to keep you warm and comfortable so you can take on any job in any weather.