BS 7915:1998

Committees responsible
Foreword
1 Scope
2 Normative references
3 Terms, definitions and symbols
4 Human responses to cold
5 The assessment of cold environments
6 Risks from cold environments
7 Minimizing the effects of the cold environment
Annex A (informative) Examples of metabolic rate of work
in cold environments
Annex B (informative) Examples of clothing worn and
corresponding insulating values
Annex C (informative) Examples of acceptable clothing
ensembles for typical working environments
Bibliography
Table 1 Wind chill index: corresponding chilling
          temperatures and likely effects
Table A.1 Examples of metabolic rate of work in cold
          environments
Table B.1 Examples of corresponding insulating values for
          clothing worn
Table C.1 Equipment used to measure environmental conditions

Provides guidance on methods for evaluation of cold stress or discomfort in cold indoor environments, and for reduction of cold strain. Covers human responses (physiological and behavioural), to the cold by design or a design process. Not applicable to outdoor work or to those environments which, although mainly enclosed, are cold because of their exposure to the external climate (such as loading and tyre fitting bays and farm out-buildings).

This British Standard gives guidance on ways in which cold stress or discomfort in cold indoor environments can be evaluated and cold strain reduced. It describes the human responses (physiological and behavioural) to the cold, together with the influence of different working practices on these. The risks from cold environments are also described.

This British Standard applies to those indoor environments which are either cold by design or by virtue of a designed process. It does not apply to outdoor work or those environments which, although largely enclosed, are cold by virtue of exposure to the external climate (e.g. unenclosed loading bays, tyre fitting bays, farm out-buildings).

For the purposes of this British Standard, cold environments are taken to be those with an air temperature of 12 ℃ or less.

NOTE The lower limit of application of this British Standard has not been rigorously defined. In survey work, temperatures down to –40 ℃ were encountered, with one application at a lower temperature. At temperatures below –40 ℃, hazards not considered in this document, for example to the respiratory tract, are known to exist.