Excessive climatic cold

Freezing weather
Frigid climates

Nature

There are regions in the world where low ambient temperatures hinder or prevent undertaking of normal physical tasks. Skilled jobs requiring manual dexterity are difficult. The likelihood of errors or accidents increases, particularly when the temperature of the hand falls below 15 deg. C. At 51 deg. C, metal becomes as brittle as glass, camera film snaps and rubber soles of shoes break.

Background

The significance of excessive climatic cold as a global concern emerged during the Little Ice Age (14th–19th centuries), when prolonged temperature drops led to widespread crop failures and societal disruptions across Europe and Asia. Scientific recognition intensified in the 20th century with advances in paleoclimatology, revealing historical cold periods’ profound impacts on human civilization. Recent research underscores the vulnerability of modern infrastructure and agriculture to abrupt cold anomalies, prompting renewed attention to this persistent climatic threat.

Incidence

Outdoor jobs in cold climates are found not only at high latitudes but also in temperate zones at high altitudes and in winter. Those at risk in the temperate zones are all outdoor workers exposed to environmental temperatures below about 10 deg C, especially when wind and rain supervene.