Risk Management of Working in Cold Environments

Millions of people are exposed to cold environments daily. Adverse health risks are prominent for outdoor and cold storage workers. Therefore, a systematic risk management approach is highly motivated. This scoping review aimed to describe the current knowledge regarding risk management of cold exposure hazards in the occupational setting. We also examined differences between sexes in risk management practices regarding cold exposure. The review included 25 peer-reviewed papers from 1980 to current in English and the Nordic languages, which could be divided into two categories: risk assessment and risk treatment. The risk assessment category included 17 papers, which investigated specific topics such as personal protective equipment, models for thermal balance, and individual differences regarding sex and body mass index. The risk treatment category included eight peer-reviewed papers, which emphasised the use of different protective or preventive measures and highlighted the importance of successful implementation and improvement of good practices. To conclude, the previous literature on risk management of cold work was mainly oriented around technical risk assessment. However, there seems to be a lack of knowledge regarding implementation, resulting in inadequate protection for workers. Moreover, research was scarce regarding sex-dependent differences in risk management among workers exposed to cold.