FEATURE
CHILL ADVISED
Kevin Rowe, Managing Director of SafetyBuyer, details the risks faced by outdoor workers during the winter months, and highlights practical steps that employers and employees themselves can take to keep everyone safe.
For outdoor workers, the winter months present many additional health and safety challenges. Cold weather brings with it a higher risk of ice and slippery conditions, while shorter days mean much more of your daily work will take place in the dark.
For employers, it’s vital to be aware of these challenges and to put measures in place to mitigate the risks that your employees will face. Appropriate PPE, safety training and risk assessments are all vital aspects of health and safety policy for any workplace, but when winter arrives, extra precautions will usually be necessary.
WET WEATHER Wet or icy weather poses a serious risk of trips and
falls by making surfaces slippery. This is dangerous for any outdoor worker and can result in serious injuries, but especially for those who work at height. It’s vital to account for this when planning any outdoor work and to take appropriate steps to prevent accidents and injuries.
You can do this by carrying out a full risk assessment to identify potential dangers and making employees aware of the risks; this may include checking weather forecasts to anticipate and prepare for freezing overnight. By installing and stocking grit bins, you can help prevent a site from freezing over, but this may still leave surfaces wet and slippery. Where necessary, you should deploy wet floor signs in areas that are slick with rainwater or melted ice and investigate whether anti-slip floor sheets or mats could help.
COLD Seriously cold temperatures can pose real risks to
employee health, with risks ranging from frostbite injuries to hypothermia. When planning outdoor work, you should remember to check weather forecasts, and if temperatures are expected to be close to or below freezing, it may be better to reschedule.
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If this isn’t an option, consider what your employees wear while working outdoors. In some cases, PPE will help by adding an additional layer of protection against the cold.
If employees must wear high-visibility jackets or jumpsuits, make sure these are in good condition and made of suitable materials to insulate against the cold. Outdoor workers may also want to wear a larger size during the winter months, to give them more room to layer up clothes underneath. Workers can add or remove layers throughout the day if the weather changes or they get too warm while undertaking physical work.
DARKNESS In many industries, risk factors significantly increase
in the dark. As the winter draws near, daylight hours dwindle but working hours may not - this means a greater exposure to danger. If your team is working in the early morning or late evening, workers may be subjected to the pitch black, while even during the day, light will be dimmer and risk factors may be harder to see.
One important consideration is whether workers need to wear reflective clothing. There are rarely downsides to this, and it can also help to prevent accidents if employees are walking or cycling to work in the dark. Providing lights, torches and lit helmets may also be appropriate in certain workplaces.
The most important thing to prevent accidents and mitigate risks is a thorough and detailed assessment. While the suggestions above are worthwhile considerations, understanding the specific risk factors that are present on your site is the only way to ensure everyone is aware, prepared, and able to stay safe.
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