Cold burns and frostbite toolbox talk

What it is

Skin or eye contact with liquefied gas or rapidly evaporating refrigerant that freezes tissue and causes cold burns or frostbite.

Controls to check, most effective first

1. Use workers who hold the correct refrigerant handling licence, and recover refrigerant with proper equipment instead of venting it.
2. Check hoses, gauges and fittings before connecting, and close valves before disconnecting to stop liquid escaping.
3. Stand clear of valves, hose ends and relief outlets when opening or venting systems that hold liquefied gas.
4. Wear insulated gloves, safety glasses and a face shield when handling liquefied gas, cryogenic liquids or refrigerant.
5. Treat cold burns by gently warming the area with lukewarm, not hot, water without rubbing, and get medical help.

Where it comes up on the job

Work steps from SafetyDocs templates that deal with cold burns and frostbite:

• Emergency responseRespond to frostbite, eye contact, inhalation and other emergencies.From Refrigerant Gas

Questions for the crew

1. Where could cold burns and frostbite come up on this job today?
2. The most effective control is: “Use workers who hold the correct refrigerant handling licence, and recover refrigerant with proper equipment instead of venting it”. Can we do that here? If not, why not?
3. Which controls for cold burns and frostbite are missing or not working on this site?
4. When would you stop work because of cold burns and frostbite, and who would you tell?
5. How do we report a hazard, a near miss or an incident on this job?