Winter weather brings more hazards than other seasons, but especially for workers who are routinely exposed to the elements! With the decrease in temperatures, it can make it more expensive to heat your building and create higher risks of slips and falls. With just one singular employee getting injured, there’s a slight delay in production and if a lot of your employees are injured due to winter-related hazards…well you’re in trouble.
To keep your business running efficiently and safe all winter, you need to actively avoid hazards. Below are some ways to prevent winter workplace accidents:
- Removing ice from walkways: this is the first hazard that needs to be addressed. Whether you hire a building maintenance team or take care of it yourself, there should be a crash course on the importance of ice and snow removal. For example, in a warehouse environment, the temperature isn’t always regulated in all of the work zones and sometimes these accidents take place while your employee is walking in the parking lot to or from a shift. It’s your job to make sure the parking lots get salted/plowed regularly.
- Cold stress injuries: like frostbite or hypothermia which can occur if your workers are not wearing winter gloves or proper clothing. Ensure that the inside of your warehouse is warm enough, enforce frequent breaks (especially for those working outdoors or in loading areas).
- Provide winter-specific PPE and clothing: this is your responsibility as the employer. In the winter, increase the wardrobes with jackets, hats, gloves and sweaters. Remind the importance of proper footwear as well as the wrong shoes could cause an accident.
- Hold regular safety meetings (year-round): this can be really educational on both ends by pulling out incident reports from the last couple of winters to emphasize the most common accidents that your workplace has experienced. Another thing to highlight would be the health and safety protocols as well as safe equipment use.
- Never use unsafe equipment: while this tip definitely applies year- round, but especially be extra cautious during the wintertime when there are more hazards.
OSHA and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are working together on a public education effort aimed at improving the way people prepare for harsh weather. For other information regarding safety measures and/or tips, please click here.