Cold weather can be dangerous to outdoor workers

With wind chills in the single digits, weather like this can be dangerous to people who work outdoors.

Tulsa Public Works crews don't have the option of staying indoors. Monday, they were busy trying eight different water main breaks that were caused by the cold weather. It's the same for construction works and emergency responders. Workers tell 2NEWS they buddle up in mutiple layers of clothing and take ferquent breaks to warm up.

Fighting fires in low temperatures is also dangerous, so the Tulsa Fire Department keeps reinforcements on hand to help.

Chief Officer Bill French says, "Firefighters are very competitive. They want to do their jobs. Sometimes you just have to pull them aside and and say you are going to rehab. Just go for a few minutes. They are not going to want to stop what they are doing. They is why we have crews that can rotate in."

Frostbite can develop quickly. Once the wind chill makes the temperature feel like -28 degrees or colder, exposed skin can freeze in under 30 minutes.