Cold Stress

When the body struggles to maintain its normal temperature, safety and performance can quickly decline. In this Cold Stress course, you’ll learn how working in cold environments affects the body and why cold stress can become dangerous.

This course explains how cold stress develops and how the body reacts to prolonged exposure to cold, wind, and wet conditions. You’ll learn about common cold-related conditions such as chilblains, trench foot, frostbite, and hypothermia, along with their warning signs and risks. The course also covers basic response steps, including when to seek medical help and how early action can reduce serious injury.

You’ll explore practical prevention strategies, including proper clothing, warm-up breaks, hydration, and the buddy system. Engineering controls, such as heaters, wind protection, and safe tool handling, are also discussed. By the end of this course, you’ll know how to reduce cold stress risks and help keep yourself and your coworkers safe.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify how cold stress affects the body
• Recognize symptoms of common cold-related conditions
• Apply basic response actions for cold-related illnesses
• Implement safe work practices in cold environments
• Use engineering controls to reduce cold exposure