Winter Equipment Rental: Tips for Working in Extreme Cold

For many people in construction, transportation, and energy, working outside in freezing weather is a fact of life. Winter safety is critical because extreme cold can harm your health if you’re not prepared. The biggest risk is cold stress—a condition that can turn life-threatening. The good news is you can manage cold stress with the right precautions.

Why Cold Stress Is Dangerous

The greatest extreme cold threat is cold stress, also called hypothermia. It’s a serious hazard. It happens when your body temperature drops below the normal 98.6°F. Your body may not be able to warm itself, which can cause permanent damage or even death.

Cold stress is recognized by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), which provides tips on protecting workers in cold environments.

Your best defense is to limit time in freezing conditions. When exposure is unavoidable, wear protective clothing designed for cold weather, stay as dry as possible, and block the wind.

Wind chill is the combination of cold air and moving wind, and it can be the difference between a manageable day and a medical emergency.

Even at above-freezing temperatures, a steady breeze can make it feel much colder. For example:

• 32°F with 10 mph wind = feels like -16°F
• 32°F with 30 mph wind = feels like -26°F
• 0°F with 10 mph wind = feels like -41°F
• 0°F with 30 mph wind = feels like -53°F
• -30°F with 10 mph wind = feels like -53°F
• -30°F with 30 mph wind = feels like -67°F

At -67°F, exposed skin can freeze in seconds. Even moderate winter conditions can become dangerous with strong winds, which is why planning ahead is a must.

Clothing and PPE

When it comes to working in extreme cold, what you wear is just as important as the tools you use. Clothing is your first line of defense against frostbite, hypothermia, and other cold-related injuries. If your gear isn’t up to the task, no amount of grit will keep you warm.

• Layer clothing with moisture-wicking base, insulating middle, and waterproof shell.
• Wear insulated boots, gloves, earmuffs, and face protection.
• Carry extra dry clothing to change out of wet gear quickly.
• Use disposable or electric warmers in gloves and boots.
• Cover exposed skin to reduce frostbite risk.

On-the-Job Cold Safety Practices

The NWS provides first-class information on cold weather safety and how to protect from the cold. Here are a few tips to get started:

• Schedule outdoor tasks during the warmest part of the day.
• Rotate crews indoors or to heated shelters for regular breaks.
• Use the buddy system—never work alone in extreme cold.
• Balance movement and rest—keep moving enough to stay warm but avoid exhaustion.
• Watch for early signs of cold stress like shivering, numbness, slurred speech, or confusion.

Note: Your body is a furnace that needs both fuel and water to produce heat. Eat high-energy foods with proteins and healthy fats and stay hydrated. Warm drinks are best — they conserve energy your body would otherwise use to heat cold liquids.

Keeping Equipment Running in Winter

Extreme cold doesn’t just affect your crew — it punishes machines too. Hydraulic fluids thicken, batteries lose charge, and steel components become brittle. If you don’t prepare equipment for winter, you risk costly downtime and dangerous breakdowns.

1. Follow winter maintenance practices. Switch to low-temperature-rated fluids. Inspect hoses and seals daily for cracks. Always warm up engines and hydraulics before putting machines under heavy load.
2. Protect storage and staging areas. Keep equipment in heated shelters or use insulated covers and block heaters to make cold starts easier.
3. Plan for emergency power. Renting generators with cold-start kits ensures you’re never left without a backup heat source.
4. Rent winter-ready attachments. Instead of tying up capital on specialized tools, you can rent skid steers with snow blowers, buckets, or blades to clear paths and maintain productivity.

Renting from The Cat^® Rental Store gives you access to machines designed for cold climates. Many come with built-in heaters, enclosed cabs, and updated technology that older fleets may lack.

Regulations and Recognizing Cold-Weather Injuries

Unlike heat stress, cold exposure doesn’t have a fixed cutoff where work must stop. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) doesn’t publish a strict temperature limit. Instead, it enforces the OSH Act of 1970, which requires every employer to provide a workplace “free from recognized hazards.” 

Extreme cold clearly qualifies, so it’s your responsibility to put protections in place — from training and PPE to heated break areas.

Understanding the types of cold-related injuries helps you act quickly when a worker shows symptoms:

• Trench foot: This is caused by long exposure to cold, wet conditions. Wet feet lose heat 25 times faster than dry feet. Symptoms include numbness, swelling, and blisters.
• Frostbite: This is when skin and underlying tissue freeze, usually on fingers, toes, ears, or nose. Mild frostbite causes tingling and pale skin; severe cases can turn skin black and may require amputation. Gradual warming is critical — never rub frostbitten areas.
• Hypothermia: It begins when body temperature falls below 95°F. Early signs include shivering and clumsiness. Severe hypothermia leads to confusion, slurred speech, and unconsciousness. Treatment requires immediate shelter, gradual warming, and medical care.

Every worker should know these warning signs and the steps to respond. The faster you recognize and treat cold stress, the lower the risk of lasting injury. OSHA provides additional resources on managing extreme cold.

By aligning with OSHA standards and training crews to identify hazards early, you not only meet regulatory obligations, you also create a safer, more resilient workplace that helps you attract and keep top talent.

Contact The Cat® Rental Store for Cold Weather Equipment Renting

Your chance of cold weather failure is significantly reduced when you rent equipment from The Cat^® Rental Store. With over 1,300 equipment rental locations across North America, we can provide extreme cold solutions in frigid environments you’ll find in Alaska, Canada and the northern central states.

Our selection of Cat machinery includes cold-weather performers like graders, loaders and skid steers. We rent excavators that work in the winter as well as power generators that start in the coldest of times and produce life-saving heat. At The Cat Rental Store, we also offer work tool attachments that will plow snow and blow it away.

Contact The Cat Rental Store today for your extreme cold-weather options. Call us at 1-800-RENT-CAT or stop by one of our convenient locations near you.