In this episode of the All Things Safety podcast, Duane Duhamel, HSE Director at ISN, talks about safety protocols for extreme cold and winter storms.

As winter storms become more volatile, Duhamel says that traditional safety manuals are often too static for rapidly shifting environments. From identifying the subtle cognitive red flags of hypothermia to how modern material science is rendering the "extra layer" rule no longer applicable, this conversation centers on the integration of safety and productivity. Duhamel emphasizes that true urgency in a crisis is about preventing "irreversible harm" rather than maintaining short-term output.

"I don't view [safety and productivity] as a balance. I view safety and productivity as integrated... A safe operation is an efficient operation," he says.

Organizations should remove ambiguity by having pre-set envelopes for weather (wind speed, temperature, visibility). If conditions exceed these limits, work stops automatically, removing the burden of choice from the worker, Duhamel said.

"The best organizations remove any sort of discretion that could occur in the moment. Leaders... don't ask, 'Can we push through?' but rather, 'Are the conditions still within our safe operating envelope?'"

He also explains that work as imagined (the plan) rarely matches work as done (the field). Safety protocols must be dynamic, requiring continuous risk assessments rather than a single morning check-in.

"I would rather have the explanation of a week-long or a day-long delay to senior leadership... than having to spend 10 or 15 minutes on the doorstep explaining to a family member that their loved one isn't coming home,” Duhamel said.

One major takeaway is that cold stress manifests behaviorally, such as confusion, poor judgment, slurring, before it manifests physically.

According to Duhamel, supervisors should look for these specific "pre-physical" red flags:

• Cognitive: Slower reaction times, confusion during routine tasks, or uncharacteristic risk-taking.
• Communication: Slurred speech or a "vacant stare."
• The Danger Zone: A worker who stops shivering or begins removing clothes (paradoxical undressing) despite the cold, signaling advanced hypothermia.

Duhamel also discusses modern developments in material science like moisture-wicking synthetics and battery-heated layers, which are changing the traditional "just add more layers" advice, which often leads to dangerous sweating and restricted movement.

Listen to the podcast for the entire conversation.