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• 103.4 METHODS OF CONTROLLING COLD STRESS 103.4.1 Personal Protective Equipment Since prolonged exposure to cold air, or to immersion in cold water, at temperatures well above freezing can lead to dangerous hypothermia, whole body protection must be provided as follows: o Adequate insulating clothing to maintain core temperatures above 97°F must be provided to workers if work is performed in air temperatures below 40°F. Wind chill or the cooling power of the air is a critical factor. The higher the wind speed and the lower the temperature in the work area, the greater the insulation value of the protective clothing required. An equivalent chill temperature chart relating the actual dry bulb air temperature and the wind velocity is presented in Table HS-103-I. The equivalent chill temperature must be used when estimating the combined cooling effect of wind and low air temperatures on exposed skin or when determining clothing insulation requirements to maintain the deep body core temperature. o Older workers or workers with circulatory problems require special precautionary protection against cold injury. The use of extra insulating • clothing and/or a reduction in the duration of the exposure period are among the special precautions which shall be considered. The precautionary actions to be taken will depend upon the physical condition of the work and shall be determined with the advice of a physician with knowledge of the cold stress factors and the medical condition of the worker. o Special protection of the hands is required to maintain manual dexterity as follows: • If fine work is to be performed with bare hands for more than 10-20 minutes in an environment below 60°F, special provisions shall be established for keeping the worker's hands warm. For this purpose, warm air jets, radiant heaters (fuel burner or electric radiator), or contact warm plates may be utilized. Metal handles of tools and control bars shall be covered by thermal insulating material at temperatures below 30°F. • If the air temperature falls below 60°F for sedentary, 40°F for light, or 20°F for moderate work and fine manual dexterity is not required, then gloves shall be used by the workers. o To prevent contact frostbite, the workers must wear anti-contact gloves and follow the provisions shown below: • 3