How Weather Conditions Affect the Performance of Your Work Safety Gear

• Posted on 29 April 2025
• By SWSS
• 0

Learn how weather impacts gloves, boots, helmets, and other safety gear, and learn how to stay safer on the job by choosing PPE that works in real-world conditions.

When you’re working outdoors, the right safety gear should always be used to provide reliable protection from hazards like chemicals, falling objects, or unexpected equipment failures. However, what many people often overlook is that differing weather conditions can seriously compromise how well your protective gear does its job over the course of a shift.

Understanding how temperature, moisture, and other elements can affect your equipment helps you make better decisions when selecting workwear, and ensures you stay safer, more comfortable, and more productive while on the job.

How Temperature Extremes Can Impact Safety Equipment

Hot or cold temperature swings, have a much bigger impact on safety gear than many people realize. Without the right equipment for the environment, it can lead to faster wear, reduced protection, or complete equipment failure. For example, cold can cause materials like rubber and plastic to stiffen and become brittle, and make them prone to cracking.

And on the other hand, extreme heat can cause gradual breakdowns in material strength, adhesives, and fabrics, and lead to failures that aren't always visible until it’s too late. In both cases, being aware of the risks the weather imposes on our work, can save you from serious risk of injury and help avoid hazards for everyone working around you.

The Cold Weather Risks

Materials like rubber and plastic can stiffen or crack:

In freezing and even near-freezing temperatures, gloves, boot soles, helmet linings, and other flexible parts can harden up quickly. When the material loses it's flexibility, it becomes more prone to cracking under regular stress.

A cracked glove or a brittle fall harness might look fine to the naked eye, but they could fail the moment you lean on it. This is why it’s smart to regularly inspect your PPE in cold weather and swap out anything that feels unusually stiff or rigid after being exposed to the elements.

Grip strength may decrease as gloves and boots freeze:

When materials become rigid from the cold, your ability to properly grip tools or machinery and ladders drops fast. A frozen glove or a boot sole will lose the friction needed for safe handling and footing. If you’re doing work that demands precision or strength, even a small slip could cause a dropped tool, a broken part, or a serious injury.

This is where cold-resistant materials like nitrile gloves, leather, or insulated work gloves come into play - they help you maintain better control even when the temperature drops. Read our article on the difference between latex and Nitrile PPE rubber gloves to help you decide which work best in your working conditions.

Clothing layers can interfere with proper fit of PPE:

Cold weather often forces you to bundle up, but those extra jackets, vests, or sweatshirts can actually make your regular PPE shift out of position. Hard hats may not sit properly, harnesses can become loose as you move, and gloves may feel too tight or awkward when layered over thicker sleeves. All of these issues reduce the effectiveness of the safety gear you rely on.

That's why it's good practice to take a few extra minutes before starting work to adjust and tighten your gear properly after layering up. Keep in mind that in some cases, you might even need a different size of PPE for winter use to keep everything fitting the way it should because of regular rotation.

The Hot Weather Risks

Sweat reduces traction inside gloves and boots:

There's hot weather risks to equipment too. When the temperature rises, your body sweats more to stay cool, but that sweat doesn’t just make you uncomfortable, it can also seriously affect your grip. When it's hot, moisture builds up inside gloves and boots, and makes it harder to hold onto tools, steer equipment, or maintain steady footing.

Even a minor slip caused by sweaty hands can result in lost control of a tool or a stumble in a critical spot. Choosing gloves that breathe well and drive away moisture can help manage the sweat, just like rotating gear during long shifts can keep you working safely and steadily.

High temperatures can cause adhesives to fail on helmets and pads:

A lot of safety equipment depends on adhesives to hold padding and liner support in place. When you work in high heat, those adhesives tend to soften and lose their hold. If the padding shifts inside your hard hat or your harness backing peels away, it compromises the way the equipment protects you.

This kind of failure often isn’t visible right away and shows why regular inspections are even more important when working in hotter climates like under the direct sun. A good rule of thumb is to always check for loose fittings at the start of a shift, and especially during peak heat seasons.

UV exposure degrades fabric and plastic faster than you think:

Extended exposure to sunlight causes heat buildup and it gradually weakens the materials your safety gear is made from. Some examples are hard hats, safety vests, gloves, and even boots which can all become brittle long before they would typically need replacing.

UV radiation breaks down the outer layer of plastics and fabrics, and reduces their ability to protect you properly. Try to replace faded or cracked equipment earlier than scheduled and invest in keeping yourself safe. Also, when possible, store your gear in a shaded area or covered storage between uses.

Rain, Snow, and Humidity: More Than Just an Inconvenience

Moisture also changes how safety equipment performs, and sometimes in ways that aren't obvious until it’s too late. Wet conditions cause discomfort and they directly impact the reliability of gloves, boots, workwear, and electrical protection.

Effects of Wet Weather

Wet gloves lose grip, making hand injuries more likely:

When gloves get wet, the surface friction that helps you grip tools and materials sharply drops. A slippery grip can cause tools to fall, machinery controls to slip, or sharp edges to slide against your hand.

That's why it's important to use gloves that are specifically designed for wet work conditions - usually ones with textured or rubberized surfaces that help give you a firm hold when everything around you is soaked.

Wet clothing can contribute to hypothermia:

Even at moderate temperatures, if your clothing stays soaked for too long, you'll quickly lose body heat. Hypothermia isn't just a risk in the winter - it can happen in the spring or fall weather too, especially if there’s cold wind involved.

The reason is because water actually pulls heat from the body faster than air does, and makes wet clothing quite serious if you're working for hours without drying off.

To mitigate this problem, it's a good idea to invest in layered, moisture-wicking clothing systems that help keep your core temperature stable when it's cold outside.

Electrical PPE loses effectiveness if it’s damp.

Water and electricity don't mix, and so when your gloves, boots, mats, or other electrical PPE get wet, they can fail without warning. Damp insulation loses its ability to block electrical current, and creates a hidden hazard every time you connect or service live equipment.

This is why it's important to check that electrical-rated PPE stays completely dry during use and that you immediately remove and replace any equipment that shows signs of moisture exposure.

You can click this link to review OSHA's guidance on cold stress, which offers important advice on protecting workers in damp and cold environments.

Best Practices for Choosing Weather-Appropriate PPE

Choosing the right gear for your worksite is something that needs to match the season, the temperature, and the conditions you’ll be facing that day.

Material Flexibility at Expected Temperatures

Before buying or issuing safety equipment, check whether the materials will perform well under the specific temperatures you expect them to work well in. Gloves, boots, and hard hats should be rated for the coldest or hottest temperatures you might encounter.

Materials like nitrile and neoprene often perform better under a wider range of conditions than the cheaper options.

Moisture Management Capabilities

Look for gear that either resists water or actively manages moisture by repelling it away from your skin. Waterproof boots, water-resistant gloves, and breathable, moisture-wicking clothing will let you work longer without risking hypothermia, loss of grip, or discomfort.

Keeping dry at work is about keeping your body protected and your reflexes sharp throughout your shift.

Certification Labels and Ratings

Reputable manufacturers regularly test their products for specific hazards like impact, temperature resistance, and moisture protection. You can also check for ANSI, CSA, or ASTM certification labels so you have a much better idea of whether the gear is designed for the real-world conditions you’ll face on the job.

Don't take marketing claims at face value. Just look for tested and rated protection.

Backup Gear and Replacements

Smart workers plan for failure, so carrying backup gloves, and an extra pair of boots can make the difference between finishing a shift safely or having to stop because the equipment failed. Having backups on hand is especially important in extreme weather where your gear is more likely to get damaged or waterlogged.

End-of-Day Care for Your Gear

Another rule of thumb if you're working outside is to take a few extra minutes at the end of your shift to properly dry, clean, and inspect your gear. Doing so adds months and sometimes years to its useful life. Remember, good gear care keeps you safe, saves money, and ensures your equipment is ready when you need.