Low temperature response | Practice Guide

Low temperature incidents

Purpose

This procedure describes the actions to be taken by staff called to a premises following the activation of a low temperature sensor.

Responsibility

Response Officers

Process

The concern in these circumstances is that the customer might be at risk of or suffering from hypothermia.

On arrival at the premises, the Response Officer will be able to ascertain whether the premises feel cold.

If the customer is unconscious, the Response Officer should:

Contact the contact centre and request ambulance attendance for an unconscious patient with suspected severe hypothermia.
Find blankets, coats etc. and cover the customer with these to retain warmth.

If the premises feel cold, the Response Officer should:

Check for open windows and doors and shut these.
Check the heating and increase the temperature in the room where the customer is.

If the customer is conscious,

The Response Officer should assess the health and welfare of the customer. In particular, they should identify whether the customer has any of the following symptoms:
Does the customer feel cold, shivering or has low energy levels?
If the customer reports that they are shivering, the Response Officer should ask the customer if they can stop themselves shivering.
If the customer can control their shivering, any hypothermia that they might have is likely to be mild.
If the customer is unable to control their shivering, it is probable that they have moderate hypothermia.
If the customer reports feeling cold and having low energy levels, they might have mild hypothermia.
If the customer reports not feeling cold, the employee must not rule out the possibility that they have moderate or severe hypothermia.

Is the customer experiencing any unusual difficulty with manual dexterity, co-ordination or in moving about (fumbling and stumbling)?

If the customer is experiencing abnormal difficulties and these cannot be explained (e.g. by wearing gloves or having taken drink), it is possible that the customer may have moderate hypothermia.

Does the customer appear to be confused, listless, unable to concentrate or think rationally or indifferent compared with their normal state of being?

If these symptoms exist, it is possible that they have moderate hypothermia. In these circumstances, the Response Officer should immediately:
Clarify whether the slurred speech can be explained in some other way (e.g. missing dentures or excess of alcoholic drink). In the absence of an alternative explanation, it is possible that the customer has moderate hypothermia.
Seek to assess the customer’s mental function. This should be carried out by asking the customer to count down from 100 in steps of ten (i.e. 100, 90, 80, etc.). If the customer has difficulty with this, unless they would not normally be able to perform this task, it is probable that they have moderate hypothermia

If the customer reports that they are not shivering, the Response Officer should ascertain whether the customer had previously been shivering uncontrollably.

If the customer was previously shivering uncontrollably, it is probable that they are now experiencing severe hypothermia.
The Response Officer should seek to ascertain whether the customer can control their hands, feet and limbs by asking the customer to move these.
If the customer reports being unable to move or control their hands, feet or limbs (and this is unusual) or muscle stiffness, it is probable that they are now experiencing severe hypothermia.

Where the customer has symptoms of hypothermia, the Response Officer should take the following actions.

Where the customer has the symptoms of mild hypothermia:

Make the customer a warm drink – not coffee – and ask him/her to eat some carbohydrate rich food, e.g. cake or biscuits.
Assist the customer in finding additional layers of clothing, including a hat to put on.
Remain with the customer and ask him/her to undertake moderate exercise to warm up, but not sufficiently vigorous as to result in sweating.

Where the customer has the symptoms of moderate hypothermia:

Contact the contact centre and request attendance by the ambulance service.
Find additional layers of clothing including a hat for the customer to put on.
Make the customer a warm drink – not coffee – and ask him/her to eat some carbohydrate rich food, e.g. cake or biscuits.
Remain with the customer and ask him/her to undertake moderate exercise to warm up, but not sufficiently vigorous as to result in sweating.

Where the customer has symptoms of severe hypothermia:

Contact the contact centre and request attendance by the ambulance service.
Assist the customer to wrap themselves in coats, blankets etc., also ensure that the top of the customer’s head is covered.
Make the customer a warm drink – not coffee – and ask him/her to eat some carbohydrate rich food, e.g. cake or biscuits.
Remain with the customer and ask him/her to undertake exercise to warm up, e.g. rubbing hands and limbs – do not do this for the customer.
Wherever possible seek to keep the customer conscious.

NOTE: Severe hypothermia is an extremely dangerous state and the individual may lapse into unconsciousness at any time.

Where the customer has no symptoms of hypothermia:

The Response Officer should ask where the low temperature sensor is installed. If this is in another room, they should ask the customer how often they use this room and what for. The Response Officer should also determine whether the room feels cold. Based on their findings the sensor should either be re-sited or installed.

If the customer had mild hypothermia, the Response Officer should:

Provide verbal information on the causes and risks of hypothermia
Consider whether to request attendance by a key holder / next of kin to keep the customer company until their health is fully restored.
Where the customer is to be taken to hospital by ambulance, the Response Officer should obtain details of which hospital from the ambulance staff and secure the dwelling.
The Response Officer should document their findings and the actions taken on the job sheet.