Dress in layers and stay dry

The hazard

Cold weather can pull heat out of your body faster than you can make it, especially when you are wet or out in the wind. As you cool down, your hands get clumsy and your thinking slows. That makes every other task more dangerous, from climbing a ladder to running a saw. Hypothermia and frostbite can creep up on you, so we watch for them in ourselves and in each other.

The action

Wear loose layers: a base layer that pulls sweat off your skin, a warm middle layer and an outer shell that blocks wind and water. Avoid cotton next to your skin, because it holds sweat and stops keeping you warm once it is wet. Cover your head, ears and hands, wear insulated waterproof boots, and keep spare dry socks and gloves in your truck.