Cold Weather Safety for your Phone
Phones are more than an essential part of many of our daily routines. For some of us, they’re essential tools we need to perform our jobs, and sometimes our only means of contact with anyone else. However, for all of the developments that have gone into making phones as powerful, slim, and feature-rich as they are, they’re more vulnerable to cold weather than ever.
In a comprehensive test performed by the Technical Research Center of Finland, a wide range of consumer phones were put in a “cold room;” an extreme cold-weather simulation chamber where many phones, particularly Apple’s iPhone, performed poorly at 0 degrees Celsius. At -10 Celsius, over half of the tested consumer devices shut down and would restart. At the lowest range of the test, -40 degrees Celsius, none of the consumer devices were operational at all.
This test also found that there are two major places your phone will fail in extremely cold weather: the screen and the battery. The touchscreen that is common in every phone is typically made of a very durable glass that resists impact, and abrasion, and is proofed against condensation. As the temperature drops, the glass becomes more fragile. It has been reported to crack very easily and shatter more readily in these temperatures. In some cases, the shift in temperature has caused screens to break without any external force or impact. The battery, when exposed to cold weather, will behave erratically, discharging far faster than normal, report incorrect power/charge levels, or simply shut off without any warning.
Unfortunately, it is common for all of the above will happen at once: you’ll think your battery has more charge than it really does, shut itself down, and when you try to power it back up, you’ll find the battery has gone entirely empty in a fraction of the time you thought it would. While the deleterious effects of cold weather vary from device to device, none are completely proven against cold and extreme weather. Each device has a specific temperature range it best operates within; that value is often in the manual that came with your device.
3 protective practices for your phone
The best protection you can offer your device, and by extension, yourself, are here proven practices that will improve worker safety and productivity.
First of all, be mindful of the temperature! Research what your phone can and can’t operate in, and always take extra precautions when you have to use your device in cold weather. For example, if you must leave your phone somewhere cold, it’s better to turn it off completely instead of just putting it to sleep. This has a lot of associated risks with it, but will help ensure that you have a charge remaining when your device warms back up and you need to use it.
Second of all, if you have to be outside for prolonged periods of time and your phone is an essential item for work, keep it inside your jacket or secure pocket. Having the device close to your body heat will help it stay above freezing, and keep it from discharging quickly or shutting down at inopportune moments. In wet weather, make sure the pocket is waterproof or at least water-resistant.
Thirdly, if your phone did shut itself off/went into sleep mode while you’re outside, warm it up before turning it back on. Doig this will help protect the battery from serious damage, and ensure your phone will continue to operate. While it’s unlikely the phone is damaged, taking this proactive precaution will make it less likely that any issues will occur.
Essential accessories
Additionally, because cellphones and other occupational communication devices can be integral to operations and safety, make sure you have other supporting items and accessories.
Make sure you have backup power sources such as cables and portable charging docks, which are even available as solar-powered. The biggest challenge of cables and other essentials is keeping them updated with the most current charging jack/outlet for your phone.
Depending on where and how the phone will be used, protective cases will be needed. Such cases protect the phone from impact as well as water and cold temperatures using insulating technology. Additionally, it’s important to have microfiber cleaning cloths for your phone to clear away the screen in an emergency.
If available, have headphones or any listening device which can be useful in an emergency. Particularly when a phone or device is low on power, the sound is impacted and headphones are an asset.
Another item we would like to add is a pair of capacitive gloves to help keep your fingers warm when using the touch screen. This way, you’re less likely to drop your device and shatter the screen. If it’s too cold for consumer capacitive gloves, there are many touchscreen-friendly styluses available that you can use in your thermal gloves.
Tip: Keep phone accessories in your emergency preparedness kit for winter driving safety
Protect lone workers
A cellphone is also the most common communications device employed by SafetyLine users. An automated lone worker monitoring system like SafetyLine can use the phone for its panic button as well as fall protection in cold weather.
Stay mindful
The best advice, of course, is to stay mindful of the temperature, be aware of all the risks, and always plan your actions before you make them! With SafetyLine, use shorter intervals and check in frequently to ensure that any accident, no matter how minor, is noticed as soon as possible and you avoid any excessive cold weather exposure. Stay safe out there this winter!