Staff from Hà Nội Sewerage and Drainage Company work during the cold weather. VNA/VNS Photo

It was 7.30am when the outdoor temperature dropped to 8 degree Celsius.

At that time 12 workers from Hà Nội Sewerage and Drainage Company who dredged mud at Ba Mẫu Lake in Đống Đa District realised they needed to warm up.

Protective clothes were donned and they warmed up their bodies with simple exercises.

After a cup of ginger tea, they entered the icy cold water at 8am.

Nguyễn Xuân Tý, a drainage worker, said: “On the cold days, what we don’t like most is to start getting into the water.”

Workers must dress warmly and warm up their bodies before each shift, he told Vietnam News Agency.

Nguyễn Trọng Phương, director of the Sewerage and Drainage Unit No 4, said when the temperature stays low, the unit adjust their hours to ensure the work progress and health for the team. The staff start their work 30 minutes later than normal days to let the cold dew outside dissipate. In the afternoon, they work 30 minutes earlier to avoid the cold in the late evening.

The workers are given ginger tea, ginseng, oil and thermal patches to help them cope with the cold weather. Workers are allowed to light fires to warm up in suitable areas during working hours or break time, he said.

They also change shifts every 45 minutes to one hour to make sure no one stays too long in the water, he said.

The plan has been deployed for in recent days and the workers' health has remained stable. All of the tasks have been completed on schedule despite the unfavourable weather conditions, he said.

Not only the drainage workers, in spite of the declining temperatures, road sweepers in Hà Nội still have to work outdoors in the early morning and late at night to keep the city clean.

Nguyễn Thị Linh, 45, has been working at the Hà Nội Urban Environment Company for 20 years. She wears thicker layers of clothes to cope with the cole on her late shift from 5pm to 2am the next day.

“The working schedule of sanitation workers like me does not change, no matter the weather,” she said.

“The work is the most challenging on those winter nights when the temperature drops to the lowest. Our bodies get warmer when working but we feel cold right after we stop.

“The cold has engulfed every inch of my body when I finish the shift at 2am.”

Her company has equipped workers with oil, ginger tea, eye drops, and eye tonics to prevent colds.

Thanks to that, everyone can feel warmer inside and continue the task of keeping the city clean, she said.

When the temperature in Hà Nội drops sharply, animals in captivity at Hà Nội Zoo are also affected and the zoo staff have a harder time.

Lê Sỹ Dũng, chairman of Hà Nội Zoo Limited Liability Company, said to help keep over 700 wild animals warm, the company has started cold protection measures when the temperature drops below 17 degrees Celsius.

During extremely cold days, staff are required to be present around the clock at the zoo to ensure warmth and examine the animals more frequently, he said. VNS