Nonfreezing Cold-Induced Injuries

Imray, Chris; Richards, P. G.; Greeves, Julie P.; Castellani, John W.

doi:10.1136/jramc-157-01-14

Cited by 67 publications

(62 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…This can occur from direct contact with cold materials rapidly cooling local skin temperatures (Geng et al 2006). Alternately, prolonged extremity cold exposure and tissue cooling to near-freezing temperatures can lead to nonfreezing cold injuries, and this can be exacerbated by contact with cold water leading to clinical issues such as immersion foot (Imray et al 2011). With continued cooling, the extremities or exposed skin can freeze and crystallize, leading to frostbite.…”

Section: Health and Occupational Impactmentioning

confidence: 99%

Thermal stress, human performance, and physical employment standards

Cheung

Lee

Oksa

2016

Appl. Physiol. Nutr. Metab.

109

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Many physically demanding occupations in both developed and developing economies involve exposure to extreme thermal environments that can affect work capacity and ultimately health. Thermal extremes may be present in either an outdoor or an indoor work environment, and can be due to a combination of the natural or artificial ambient environment, the rate of metabolic heat generation from physical work, processes specific to the workplace (e.g., steel manufacturing), or through the requirement for protective clothing impairing heat dissipation. Together, thermal exposure can elicit acute impairment of work capacity and also chronic effects on health, greatly contributing to worker health risk and reduced productivity. Surprisingly, in most occupations even in developed economies, there are rarely any standards regarding enforced heat or cold safety for workers. Furthermore, specific physical employment standards or accommodations for thermal stressors are rare, with workers commonly tested under near-perfect conditions. This review surveys the major occupational impact of thermal extremes and existing employment standards, proposing guidelines for improvement and areas for future research.Key words: Heat stress, cold stress, occupational physiology, testing, work.Résumé : Plusieurs emplois physiquement exigeants dans les économies développées et en émergence s'exercent dans des milieux thermiques extrêmes qui peuvent affecter la capacité de travail et, en fin de compte, la santé. Ces milieux de condition thermique extrême se retrouvent dans des environnements de travail intérieur ou extérieur et peuvent découler d'une combinaison d'un milieu ambiant naturel ou artificiel, de la production de chaleur métabolique due au travail physique, des procédés spécifiques au milieu de travail (p. ex. fabrication de l'acier) ou du port obligatoire d'un équipement de protection s'opposant à la dissipation de la chaleur. Globalement, l'exposition à la chaleur peut diminuer ponctuellement la capacité de travail et générer des effets chroniques sur la santé, augmentant ainsi le risque de maladie chez le travailleur et la diminution de la productivité. Étonnamment, dans la plupart des emplois même dans les économies développées, il y a rarement, à propos du froid et de la chaleur, des normes de sécurité ou des règlements en vigueur à l'intention des travailleurs. De plus, rares sont les normes spécifiques aux tâches physiques ou les accommodations aux agents de stress thermique et les travailleurs sont généralement évalués dans des conditions presque parfaites. Cette analyse documentaire sonde les effets principaux des agents thermiques extrêmes sur les tâches physiques, fait le bilan des normes en vigueur en matière d'emploi, suggère des lignes directrices et des pistes pour des études ultérieures. [Traduit par la Rédaction] Mots-clés : stress thermique, stress dû au froid, physiologie du travail, évaluation, travail.

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Section: Health and Occupational Impactmentioning

confidence: 99%

Thermal stress, human performance, and physical employment standards

Cheung

Lee

Oksa

2016

Appl. Physiol. Nutr. Metab.

109

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“…Exposure to cold, often in combination with insufficient coping strategies (ie, clothing), can lead to local cold injuries. Local cold injuries are categorized into freezing cold injuries, occurring at temperatures <0 °C, and non-freezing cold injuries which occur after prolonged exposure to temperatures >0 °C together with wet conditions and local pressure (3). Previous studies have described both short-and long-term sequelae after local cold injury (4)(5)(6)(7)(8), the majority of the studies involved military personnel.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Neurosensory and vascular function after 14 months of military training comprising cold winter conditions

Carlsson¹,

Pettersson²,

Burström³

et al. 2015

Scand J Work Environ Health

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“…NFCI is historically most commonly reported in military personnel, due to the nature of combat settings and poor footwear and/or clothing for soldiers. Its devastating effects after the Falklands war are well documented 6 7. However, evidence suggests that rates are increasing among the civilian population particularly in those who pursue outdoor activities such as mountaineering or those who work outdoors, as well as in the homeless 8.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%