Stay Warm With Little Hotties and Other Accessories

Last edited: 2024-01-09

Protect your body from cold temperatures and harsh weather conditions by choosing Little Hotties (and other accessories).

It is important to protect your body from cold temperatures and harsh weather conditions by choosing the proper winter weather accessories. Little Hotties are a good example of a winter safety accessory that can help keep you safe in the workplace.

Winter Safety Tips

Staying warm in the winter may come down to some simple accessories that your workers keep available when working in the elements, from first aid kits, food and water, emergency kits, and more; here are some essentials to keep on hand at all times.

Related: We've all heard about heat stress, but what is cold stress and how can you avoid it? Learn more about cold stress safety on our blog.

Give Your Hands and Feet Some Heat

Cold hands and feet can be uncomfortable and hinder your ability to perform tasks effectively. Whether you're working, driving, or engaging in any activity, having warm hands and feet ensures better functionality and comfort.

Little Hotties® Hand Warmers: 6.5" X 2.5" X 5", 10 Pair/Box Little Hotties® Hand Warmers: 10" X 6.75" X 4.5", 40 Pair/Box

Little Hotties® are perfect for construction workers or anyone trying to stay warm outdoors. These packets contain a mixture of all-natural ingredients that provide up to eight hours of warmth. To use, simply remove the plastic wrapper, shake the pouch to activate and stuff the warmer in an enclosed area such as a jacket pocket or pair gloves.

Little Hotties® Thermal Insoles

Bring natural warmth to the entire sole of your foot. Little Hotties® Thermal Insoles contain a mixture of all-natural ingredients that provide up to five hours of warmth. To use, simply remove the insole from the plastic wrapper and place it inside your favorite pair of closed-toe shoes or boots.

OccuNomix Heat Pax™ Hand Warmers

Keep your gloves toasty warm in the most brutal winter conditions. These cozy hand warmers are air activated and provide instant warmth. They provide up to 10 hours of heat and are 30% warmer than the other leading brands.

Ergodyne® N-Ferno® Hand and Toe Warming Packs

These hand and toe packs provide hours of heat. To activate, simply open the pack. The all-natural ingredients heat up when they contact oxygen. You can even seal these packs from oxygen in a zip-loc bag and reuse them the next day.

Ice Cleats Help Keep Your Feet on Solid Ground

In snowy or icy conditions ice cleats can help prevent slips, falls, and injuries.

Surewerx ™K1® Series High Profile Mid-Sole Ice Cleats

This mid-sole ice cleat is a one-size-fits-all winter traction solution ideal for a defined heel work boot. Cleats are constructed of a rubber pad for maximum durability and feature five strategically placed tungsten carbide spikes which are proven to maximize traction and reduce the chance of slips and falls in icy or snowy conditions.

When the cleats are not in use they can be conveniently rotated to the top of the boot, eliminating the hassle of removing them on work sites that require frequent indoor/outdoor transitions or driving
Use the high-visibility strap to adjust the cleats to a custom fit, regardless of shoe size

Yaktrax® Walker Ice Cleats

Yaktrax® have a unique, spikeless, patented coil design that will instantly give you better traction, confidence and safety on packed snow or ice. Move about naturally with the same solid grip that you are accustomed to on dry surfaces. Made with high-strength, abrasion-resistant 1.2 mm steel coils and stretchable polyelastomer material, the Yaktrax® Walker easily conforms to the shape of your boot or shoe. The coil design provides 360º of traction on packed snow and ice and can be worn in temperatures as low as -41ºF.

Ergodyne Trex® 6325 Slip-On Spikeless Traction Devices

Reduce the risk of slips and injuries by providing spike-free traction on water, ice and snow. Designed for work environments where spiked ice cleats are not preferred, these shoe and boot grips make for easy and safe transition between indoor and outdoor use without scratching surfaces.

Spikeless traction reduces risk of slips and injuries without scratching surfaces
Easily transition from outdoors to indoors without removing
Features Michelin® Technology with strategic grooves for optimal traction
One-piece strategic design hugs the toe and heel of shoes or boots
Adjustable cord cinches tight for secure fit
Heel pull tab for easy on/off
Tested to remain flexible in temps as low as -20°F

Related: Looking to stay warm this winter on the job? Learn more about winter work clothes in our article here.

A Winter Hat Is Your Best Defense Against the Cold

A significant amount of body heat is lost through the head when it's exposed to cold weather. A winter liner or hat helps to retain heat and insulate your head, which in turn helps to regulate your body temperature.

Ergodyne® N-Ferno® 6826 2-Piece Fleece Balaclava Winter Liner

Use this two-piece stretchable fleece balaclava liner to cover your neck, head, and face; or detach for use as a separate cap or neck gaiter. Pieces are attached via hook-and loop tabs. Liner can also be attached to a hard hat using the hook-and-loop suspensions.

Ergodyne® N-Ferno® 6818 Winter Cap

This snug-fitting knit cap with soft fleece liner feels and looks great. Cap is made of a 100% dralon acrylic shell with 3M™ Thinsulate Flex insulation.

Start Your Workday With Warm, Dry Gear

MaxxDry™ Heavy-Duty Boot & Glove Dryer

Never wear damp or sweaty boots or gloves again. The MaxxDry™ Heavy-Duty Dryer uses forced-air technology to safely dry a pair of boots and gloves (with no shrinking or stiffness) in about an hour. It is ideal for removing bacteria, moisture and perspiration that can cause odors or shorten product life. Mild heat (or no heat option) dries leather, canvas, neoprene, polyester, woven nylon, vinyl, rubber, plastics or other synthetic materials.

Four-prong design
Includes two 16" removable tubes for drying tall boots
Two forced-air settings: mild heat (105°F/40.5°C) or no heat
Unit measures 9"L X 9"W X 10.75"H

Related: Warm hands are vital for outdoor workplace safety. Check out our article on Thinsulate gloves and stay safe this winter.

Our Safety Support Team is always available to discuss your cold weather workplace applications and to help you choose the right Little Hotties and other winter weather accessories to keep your workforce warm, safe, and protected this winter.

Care guide

This care sheet provides general information only for handling Carolina™ bacterial cultures. When you work with bacteria, it is imperative that you use sterile techniques at all times. Failing to use sterile techniques can contaminate cultures and work areas, and cause health and safety risks. See our Carolina™ Techniques for Studying Bacteria and Fungi Manual (item #154664) for descriptions of sterile techniques and standard practices for handling bacterial cultures.

Immediate care and handling

When your bacterial cultures arrive, immediately open the shipping container and remove the cultures. We ship cultures in tubes, plates, and as MicroKwik Culture® freeze-dried cells. Visually inspect each culture. Ensure that tubes are intact with caps securely in place, plates have no cracks and lids are secured by tape, and plastic bags containing MicroKwik Culture® cells are securely closed with the enclosed tube and vial intact.

You must seal any culture damaged during shipment—and anything it contaminated—in an autoclavable bag, and then sterilize it by autoclaving or soaking all contaminated materials in disinfectant. Note: Never discard a damaged, unsterilized culture in the trash. Know and follow your school or district's guidelines for proper disposal. Contact our Customer Service at 800.334.5551 for a replacement of your damaged culture. It will help to have your order number available when you call.

Hold most cultures at room temperature, 20 to 22° C (68 to 73° F). For tube cultures, loosen the cap and keep the culture tube upright in a test tube rack or beaker. For best results, use cultures within 3 to 5 days of receipt; however, most bacterial cultures remain usable for up to 4 weeks when held at room temperature. Keep in mind that Carolina provides a variety of bacterial cultures and some have very specific care and handling needs that differ from these general guidelines. Vibrio fischeri, for example, must be kept in the dark and subcultured 2 to 3 times per week to maintain bioluminescence.

Maintaining and culturing

Eventually your bacterial culture will deplete the nutrients of the medium in or on which it is growing and will need subculturing. Before working with bacterial cultures, wash your hands with soap and water, ensure that the work area is draft free, and wipe the work surface with 70% alcohol or similar disinfectant. Note: Always check the culture for signs of contamination immediately prior to using. Never work in an area where food is prepared or consumed.

Transfer broth cultures to fresh broth using a sterile pipet or loop or streak onto agar using a sterile inoculating loop. For faster growth, you can incubate most cultures at 25 to 30° C (77 to 86° F). After making the transfers, clean the work area with disinfectant and wash your hands again. Either autoclave the old stock cultures and glassware, or cover them with disinfectant overnight. We recommend the use of Clavies® Autoclavable Bags (item #831642) for disposal.

Biosafety

In the US the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) sets standards for the safe handling of microorganisms according to their Biosafety Level (BSL). There are 4 Biosafety Levels with BSL-1 being the lowest risk microorganisms and BSL-4 being the highest risk. Bacterial cultures provided by Carolina Biological Supply Company fall into BSL-1 and BSL-2. Our catalog and online listings identify BSL-2 bacterial cultures as pathogens. They are only available as MicroKwik Culture® freeze-dried cells, and we can only ship them to colleges and universities. Cultures not identified in our listings as pathogens are BSL-1.

The CDC standards for working with BSL-1 microorganisms include the following:

Follow all standard microbiological practices.
Work can be performed on an open lab bench or table.
Wear personal protective equipment (PPE), i.e., lab coats, gloves, and eye protection, as needed.
A sink for hand washing.
Doors that separate the lab room from the rest of the facility.

For working with BLS-2 microorganisms the CDC recommends all of the above, plus the following:

Restricted access to the lab room while cultures are being used.
PPE to include face shields as needed.
All procedures that can produce a splash or an aerosol must be performed within a biological safety cabinet.
An autoclave or other method of decontamination for proper disposal.
Self-closing doors that separate the lab room from the rest of the facility.
An eyewash station.

For a fuller discussion of CDC criteria for handling microorganisms see the following link: http://www.cdc.gov/biosafety/publications/bmbl5/bmbl5_sect_iv.pdf.

FAQs

Which agar should I use for my bacterial cultures?
In Carolina's print and online catalogs, the product descriptions for our bacterial cultures include the type of nutrient medium that we use for each culture. This information also appears on the label affixed to the culture. A wide range of bacteria will grow on Nutrient Agar (item #821862) and Tryptic Soy Agar (item #822022).

Can I pour my own plates if I don't have an autoclave?
See our Nutrient Agar Bottle (item #776360) and other prepared media bottles. A bottle containing 125 mL of medium will pour 4 to 5 standard 100 × 15-mm plates. Watch our “How to Melt and Pour Agar Plates” video (at www.carolina.com) for a demonstration of the technique.

Should I order a tube, plate, or MicroKwik Culture®?
Tube cultures are best for stock. A tube culture is often streaked on a plate and incubated before lab use. Order a plate culture for convenience and immediate use. You can receive a plate culture and use it in a lab on the same day. A MicroKwik Culture® is best used for longer-term storage and to receive a culture of a pathogen. A MicroKwik Culture® can be held at room temperature for up to 2 months before being activated or for 6 to 8 months refrigerated.

Which cultures should I order for antibiotic testing?
Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria often give different results when tested against the same antibiotic. For that reason, we recommend testing against Bacillus cereus (item #154872), which is Gram-positive, and Escherichia coli (item #155068), which is Gram-negative. We recommend broth cultures because this makes it easier to spread the culture over the surface of an agar plate. See our Carolina BioKits®: Antibiotic Sensitivity kit (item #154740) for more information.

You recommend holding a culture at room temperature, but the recommended temperature for Escherichia coli (item #155065) is given in your catalog as 37° C. Why is that?
Thirty-seven degrees C is the incubation temperature, the temperature needed for maximum culture growth. The culture is mature when we ship it out and does not need further incubation. Maintaining the culture at room temperature allows you to hold it longer before use.