Working through the cold

While Moose Jaw endures this week's ongoing cold spell, SaskPower meter reader Brett Parker is actually handling the temperatures fairly well.
"It's not that horrible actually. The cold you can always dress for," he said, adding his handheld computer isn't handling the chill as successfully. The LCD screen keeps freezing up on him.
On Monday, Parker had to thaw his meter-reading device over a vehicle defroster about every 45 minutes.
He said the key to working outside during the coldest days of winter is fairly simple - dress warm and keep moving.
Parker wears many layers during work. He puts on long underpants and wind breaking pants, as well as a warm jacket, mittens, toque and something to keep the wind from pushing coldness down his shirt.
"That's why most (meter readers) wear neck warmers," he said. SaskPower tries to check meters regularly, despite poor weather because there is just a small time window before bills are issued so staff can actually tally a household's power usage.
If SaskPower misses a residence in one month, that could mean a larger bill the following month, which Parker said meter readers like to avoid. "We try to be considerate to the customers."
Brenda Hendrickson, City of Moose Jaw deputy treasurer, said local water meter readers haven't had to miss their routes yet due to cold weather this season. She added the city decides what conditions meter readers can and can't work under based on health and safety legislation.
According to the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety online article Cold Environments - Working in the Cold, there are no maximum exposure limits for cold working conditions but the Saskatchewan Labour ministry has a warm-up schedule that suggests non-emergency work should cease when the temperature is -43 C with no wind.
With increased windchill factors, the recommended temperature to cease work changes. For example, with a 32 km/h wind, the schedule recommends work limits of about -32 C.
Parker said a bigger winter concern than temperatures, for him, is that residents remember to shovel paths to their meters.
"Knee deep snow is hard to walk through no matter who you are."
Environment Canada predicts a low of -24 C on Friday and -29 C on Saturday. By Sunday, temperatures could rise to -19 C.

Carter Haydu can be reached at 691-1265.