October 23, 2026
This week’s photo is courtesy of- Roscoe Moss Company- Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Health Focus
Part 1 of 2: Frostbite
"If the temperature is 0°F and the wind is blowing at 15 mph, the wind chill is -19°F. At this wind chill temperature, exposed skin can freeze in 30 minutes." That is the National Weather Service.
CDC describes frostbite as "a type of injury caused by freezing" that "leads to a loss of feeling and color in the areas it affects." It usually hits the extremities: the nose, ears, cheeks, chin, fingers, and toes. For a driller, that means hands on cold steel and feet in wet boots.
How it starts. CDC’s early warning is simple: if you notice redness or pain in any skin area, get out of the cold or protect the exposed skin, because frostbite may be beginning. As it gets worse, CDC lists:
• A white or grayish-yellow skin area
• Skin that feels unusually firm or waxy
• Numbness
Numbness is the trap. CDC puts it plainly: "A person who has frostbite may not know they have it until someone else points it out because the frozen parts of their body are numb." The warning goes quiet as the damage gets worse. That is why Thursday’s buddy check matters. On breaks, look at your partner’s face, ears, and hands.
Who is at higher risk. CDC names poor blood circulation and not being properly dressed for extremely cold temperatures. On the job, wet gloves and socks make it worse, since OSHA notes that dampness speeds heat loss. Tight boots that squeeze the feet are a common crew concern too; that is field experience, not a CDC list.
Tomorrow: what to do about it.
Key Takeaways
• At a -19°F wind chill, exposed skin can freeze in 30 minutes (NWS).
• Redness or pain is the early warning; white or grayish-yellow, firm or waxy skin means frostbite (CDC).
• Numbness hides it. Check your partner.
Sources:
• National Weather Service: Wind Chill Chart
• CDC: Preventing Frostbite
• OSHA: Cold Stress
The Week in Review
Safety Focus: Heat and Cold Stress
• Temperature extremes killed 53 U.S. workers in 2024, and heat caused 48 of those deaths.
• Wind and wet clothing pull heat from the body faster, and a drilling crew is often wet.
• A worker who stops shivering in the cold may be getting worse, and a heat stroke victim may still be sweating.
• New workers build heat tolerance over days: no more than 20 percent exposure on day 1, and no more than 20 percent more each day.
• There is no specific federal OSHA heat or cold standard, but the General Duty Clause applies and some states set their own heat rules.
Knowledge Share: Domain 1 Review
• Water moves from high head to low head, and K tells you how easily.
• T is K times saturated thickness, and specific capacity includes well loss.
• A cone of depression spreads until capture balances pumping, and boundaries reshape it.
• 26,400 gpd/ft is about 3,529 ft²/day, so convert before you calculate.
• Cooper-Jacob only works when u is small, so early-time points stay off the line.
Keep these in your notebook. Writing on paper helps you remember (Umejima et al., 2021, Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience).
New Vendor Highlights
New Vendors Added This Week:
There are no new vendors added this week.
Keep checking back on Fridays, when we list the newest vendors, and highlights of existing vendors. You can also visit WaterWellResource.com to view all current manufacturers, suppliers, and service providers.
New Job Opportunities
New Job Opportunities Added This Week:
There were no new jobs posted this week.
Keep checking back on Fridays, when we list the newest vendors, and highlights of existing vendors. You can also visit WaterWellResource.com to view all current manufacturers, suppliers, and service providers.
Vendor Directory
Premium Vendors-
Become a Premium or Plus vendor and increase your exposure. Claim your company and upgrade or list your company at https://waterwellresource.com/become-a-listed-vendor/
Basic Vendors-
Work Hard. Work Smart. Stay Safe!
