{"id":270,"date":"2021-07-13T19:38:32","date_gmt":"2021-07-13T19:38:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tqf.jrn.mybluehost.me\/ontheroadtruckrepair\/?p=270"},"modified":"2021-07-13T19:39:01","modified_gmt":"2021-07-13T19:39:01","slug":"work-in-cold-temperatures-and-safety","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ontheroadtruckrepair.com\/?p=270","title":{"rendered":"Work In Cold Temperatures and Safety"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>WHAT\u2019S IT LIKE WORKING IN THE COLD AND SNOW?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>At On The Road Truck Repair, we provide very flexible schedules for our mechanics. Some enjoy working in the snow, and others don\u2019t. This article is here to help you out with some tips for when you work in cold temperatures \u2014 from our very own mechanics.<\/p>\n<p>In addition to our mechanics, another great resource is\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.workplacesafetynorth.ca\/news\/news-post\/winter-coming-what-wear-outdoor-work\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Workplace Safety North (opens in a new tab)\">Workplace Safety North<\/a>&lt;sup&gt;TM&lt;\/sup&gt;, an independent not-for-profit organization based in Northern Ontario, Canada, dedicated to preventing illnesses and injuries. When they talk about working in the winter, they stress four rules:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Dress Properly<\/li>\n<li>Eat Properly<\/li>\n<li>Stay Active<\/li>\n<li>Keep an eye on each other<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>WHAT SHOULD I WEAR WHEN I WORK IN COLD TEMPERATURES?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Believe it or not, thick layers don\u2019t actually help with the cold; they slow you down. Layers influences a mechanic\u2019s ability to service trucks to the best of their ability.\u00a0Be sure to wear the right type of clothing to do the job. Remember your hat, wear loose-fitting wool layers, and one really good, warm coat, and you should be fine.<\/p>\n<p>Be prepared for getting wet. That is the area in which simple snow is much better than rain, according to TJ Morris. \u201cIf it\u2019s just snowing, your only problem is the cold; but if it\u2019s raining, you\u2019re in trouble.\u201d Keep a good water-resistant jacket in your truck (be sure it fits over your warm coat) and don\u2019t be afraid of rain boots.<\/p>\n<p>Rain and sweat are why you should not wear cotton, as it naturally pulls heat from your body, creating sweat. Sweat will make you just as cold as rain. Good materials are:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>wool<\/li>\n<li>polypropylene<\/li>\n<li>synthetic polyester<\/li>\n<li>hydrophilic\/hydrophopic moisture wicking<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Keep in mind that how you layer these fabrics makes a difference, too. For example, most moisture wicking fabrics do a great job as long as all of your layers are moisture wicking.<\/p>\n<p><strong>DOES IT MATTER WHAT I CONSUME WHEN I WORK IN COLD TEMPERATURES?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Cold air is dryer than warm air. Most of us know this much. But did you know that cold weather actually alters thirst sensation? This causes us to desire fewer fluids than in warm weather. This leads to dehydration.<\/p>\n<p>The\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.summitmedicalgroup.com\/news\/living-well\/stay-hydrated-cold-weather\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Summit Medical Group (opens in a new tab)\">Summit Medical Group<\/a>\u00a0in New Jersey recommends six tips to avoid dehydration in the cold.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Take fluids with you before you leave the house.<\/li>\n<li>If you don\u2019t feel like drinking water, drink a warm, non-caffeinated drink, such as hot herbal or naturally caffeine-free tea, to help the body stay hydrated.<\/li>\n<li>Drink often, even if you are not thirsty.<\/li>\n<li>Remember that certain fluids dehydrate the body. These include alcohol, carbonated drinks, and caffeinated drinks, including energy drinks.<\/li>\n<li>Monitor the color and amount of urine your body is producing. Your urine should be light yellow or clear. If it is darker, drink more water.<\/li>\n<li>Familiarize yourself with other common symptoms of dehydration including fatigue, lightheadedness, and even irritability.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Your food intake is also important. DJ McQueen, a senior technician at On The Road Truck Repair, recommends eating 6-8 snacks, rather than two heavy meals during a work shift. \u201cEating smaller amounts more frequently throughout the day prevents you from becoming sluggish after eating,\u201d DJ tells us. He also loves coming home to a good hot meal. Not only does it give him necessary calories to combat the day\u2019s work, it also warms him up from the inside out. Oh, and don\u2019t forget that cooking warms up the kitchen \u2014 and often the whole house!<\/p>\n<p><strong>DOESN\u2019T WORK KEEP ME ACTIVE?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>You might think this sounds easy: don\u2019t slack off on the job! Well, that certainly helps. And, as TJ told us earlier, the cold can easily slow us down, even if we are dressed properly, staying hydrated, and eating well. So what are some things to do on the job to make sure you aren\u2019t getting sluggish without realizing it?<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Move Around. Be sure to get up and move in a different way than what your work requires. Walk around, jog in place, do some jumping jacks. Just be sure that you aren\u2019t doing so much that you start to sweat. The point is to keep moving, not to create a situation that is counter-productive.<\/li>\n<li>Set An Alarm. There has been a lot of publicity over the past several years that people who sit at work should get up and move around for two minutes out of every half hour. That\u2019s good advice for working in the cold, too. Be sure to move around. You\u2019ll be glad.<\/li>\n<li>Take Warm Breaks. OSHA recommends at least one 10-minute break when the temperature is below -15 degrees every four hours. Matt Gardner, Environmental Health and Safety Manager, encourages these breaks to start much sooner, at least by 0 degrees.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>When you work in cold temperatures, it is very important to make sure you keep that blood flowing?<\/p>\n<p><strong>ISN\u2019T THE BUDDY SYSTEM FOR KIDS?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>We all remember times in our childhoods when a parent, teacher, or some other authority figure would holler, \u201cstick together!\u201d Do you really think any of us has completely outgrown that? On The Road Truck Repair employees work in teams of two. And you should, too. In cold weather, this is even more important so that you can look out for each other. If something goes poorly, it\u2019s best to have backup.<\/p>\n<p>Matt says, \u201cWe can all benefit from understanding the signs of hypothermia and frost bite. We are all capable of saving a life.\u201d If you see your workmate shivering uncontrollably, loose their coordination, slur their speech, or if their breathing\/heartbeat slows down considerably, take action right away:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Seek a warm, dry area immediately<\/li>\n<li>Call 911<\/li>\n<li>Remove any wet clothing<\/li>\n<li>Give them a warm, sweetened beverage (still no alcohol or caffeine)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Hopefully you will never encounter a situation of hypothermia, but being prepared is always good. The Prepared has a great list of recommended items to keep in your truck at all times in case of an emergency, as well.<\/p>\n<p><strong>DO FROZEN PARTS AFFECT THE JOB?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>No. Cold doesn\u2019t affect the way you service a truck, although everything may move more slowly. This can be aggravating, but if you are keeping yourself warm, you\u2019ll get through it.<\/p>\n<p>Take care of your tools. Protecting them from the cold is just as important as protecting them from the rain. Be sure to have a good toolbox, and don\u2019t take your tools from a cold environment and immediately use them in a warm environment (or vice versa) without giving them a chance to acclimate to the new climate.\u00a0\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/besttruckupgrades.com\/best-rated-truck-tool-boxes-top-reviews\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Click here (opens in a new tab)\">Click here<\/a>\u00a0for a list of recommended toolboxes from\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/besttruckupgrades.com\/best-rated-truck-tool-boxes-top-reviews\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Best Truck Upgrades (opens in a new tab)\">Best Truck Upgrades<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>WORK IN COLD TEMPERATURES AT NIGHT<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>When the sun goes down, typically so does the temperature. Since most of our\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/ontheroadtruckrepair.com\/night-shift-diesel-mechanic-yes-please\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"work is done at night (opens in a new tab)\">work is done at night<\/a>, it is even more important that we monitor all of these tips. We watch what we eat and drink, how much we move around, and definitely what we wear.<\/p>\n<p><strong>TAKE TIME TO HAVE SOME FUN<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>No one ever said you can\u2019t make a snow angel at the end of your shift or when you get home.\u00a0 Be sure to see the beauty in the change of seasons.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>WHAT\u2019S IT LIKE WORKING IN THE COLD AND SNOW? At On The Road Truck Repair, we provide very flexible schedules for our mechanics. Some enjoy working in the snow, and others don\u2019t. This article is here to help you out with some tips for when you work in cold temperatures \u2014 from our very own [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":271,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-270","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ontheroadtruckrepair.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/270","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ontheroadtruckrepair.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ontheroadtruckrepair.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ontheroadtruckrepair.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ontheroadtruckrepair.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=270"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ontheroadtruckrepair.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/270\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ontheroadtruckrepair.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/271"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ontheroadtruckrepair.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=270"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ontheroadtruckrepair.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=270"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ontheroadtruckrepair.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=270"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}