Is your workplace health and safety ready for winter?

Five H&S tips to keep your employees safe and productive when it gets cold

There will be no excuses for being caught out by cold weather this winter. Meteorological experts are already forecasting that after such a long, hot summer, we could be in for a very cold few months around Christmas and the turn of the year. If the predictions are right, your company is going to face extra health and safety issues.

Our advice is to do the very un-British thing: take notice of the weather forecasters. Don’t leave the health and safety of your employees to chance this winter. Prepare now for wetter, colder, darker days ahead.

Make someone responsible for health and safety in your workplace

While everyone has a responsibility for their own welfare at work, it is good working practice to assign someone overall responsibility for health and safety in the workplace. This will help ensure that all risks are assessed correctly, and that changes in health and safety laws, rules and regulations are accounted for and that you take all reasonable steps to adhere to the employer’s duty of care in the UK workplace.

Understand the main health and safety risks in winter

Most risks to the health and safety of your employees increase in winter. In particular, you should be wary of:

Slips and trips

Wet weather and icy conditions make surfaces more slippery. Darker conditions hide obstacles.

Traffic accidents

We tend to think of winter conditions increasing the danger on public roads – which is true, of course; but rain, snow and ice can also make your outside areas, footpaths and entrances extra hazardous for pedestrians and workplace traffic such as forklifts.

Illness

Cold weather increases the likelihood of illness, especially for workers who operate outside. Absence because of illness can seriously impact business performance.

Take positive action to improve health and safety in your workplace this winter

There are several actions you can take to improve workplace health and safety and the welfare of your employees as autumn and winter approach. These five tips will help your business keep performing at its peak this winter.

1.      Remove leaves and repair paths

Ensure that falling leaves are removed from pathways – they are particularly hazardous when wet. Inspect paths and walkways for potholes and broken or lifted tiles, and replace or repair immediately.

2.      Improve lighting inside and out

Ensure that your workplace is well-lit. Remember that you won’t have the benefit of sunshine blazing through the windows.

Outside, pay attention to dark areas, and those places where existing lighting casts shadows. Ask your employees to point out where they have difficulty seeing because of darker conditions.

3.      Make sure your heating system is in good working order

Don’t leave it until the cold weather strikes to turn your heating system on. Check your heating early, and have it serviced by a professional. This should ensure that you won’t be forced to close and lose a day or two’s productivity because your workplace is too cold.

4.      Ensure staff are properly clothed

Staff who work outside should be provided with warm and waterproof workwear. Workers in warehouses and distribution centres may suffer from draughts and cold floors; would it be wise to offer them warmer clothing, too?

5.      Drive safely on the roads

Increase awareness of the hazards of winter driving, by providing the RoSPA winter driving tips factsheet to all your employees.

Ensure that your fleet vehicles are kept in good condition, and that your drivers plan routes to avoid congestion, poor road conditions, and roads that have not been gritted.

Be prepared for a rough winter

It is wise to minimise risks to your operations during the winter months, to ensure minimal disruption to your operations. Your winter health and safety preparations should include:

• Identifying hazards and minimising risks
• Reviewing, measuring and monitoring your health and safety plan
• Getting feedback from your employees to ensure their concerns are listened to
• Putting in place emergency procedures to make certain your staff are safe and that any disruption to work is kept to a minimum in periods of adverse weather conditions

The earlier you act, the better prepared you will be for winter. A health and safety audit in the workplace will ensure that your current H&S policy, practices and procedures comply with current laws, rules and regulations, and that your employees benefit from maximum protection and minimum risk when the weather suddenly turns ‘unexpectedly’. To learn more, contact Integral Safety Management today.