Editor's Note: Safe and warm

It’s something that most of my family, friends and co-workers in the Midwest don’t want to hear, but I love winter. Fortunately, Safety+Health Publisher Suzanne Powills loves it as well, so we communicate via text when the snow is looking extra pretty to avoid triggering grumbles from people who are, shall we say, less fond.

Having said that, I should admit that now that I’m in my 40s, I like winter more for the picture it presents than being out in it. It doesn’t take long for me to start feeling cold, and anyone stopping by my office at National Safety Council headquarters is likely to find me bundled up in a ratty fleece jacket that saw better days five years ago. Outdoors, a short walk or 20 minutes clearing off my car after snow accumulation is more than enough.

That’s why I’m quick to notice the people who work outdoors in temperatures that, here in Chicagoland, can range from bracing to brutal. When the weather leans on the side of brutal, I find myself both admiring their hardiness and worried about their safety.

This month in S+H, Associate Editor Alan Ferguson offers practical information for the men and women who spend part or all of their workday outdoors during cold weather.

The tips also apply to anyone who grabs a shovel or cranks up a snowblower when flakes start to fall. Please stay safe and well – and warm – this season.

P.S. As I write this, the team at OSHA’s Office of Communications has just forwarded to us the finalized data for the agency’s “Top 10” list of most-cited violations for fiscal year 2017. (Read the article here.) Big thanks to them, Patrick Kapust and the entire staff of the Directorate of Enforcement Programs for making it possible for S+H to share this information with you.

The opinions expressed in “Editor’s Note” do not necessarily reflect those of the National Safety Council or affiliated local Chapters.