What Winter Work Hazards Do I Need to Be Worried About?

What Winter Work Hazards Do I Need to Be Worried About?

Winter brings heightened risks for workplace injuries such as slips, cold stress and road accidents, making early preparation for worker safety essential.

Winter is coming. For employers, this, of course, means colder temperatures and more slippery surfaces facing their workers. However, the safety hazards are much more dynamic than that. These new conditions can create complexities and challenges that put the worker at higher risk of injury and worse.

Even though the leaves are just beginning to change color and fall from the trees, employers and companies should begin to prepare for winter work safety now, ensuring that they are ready for any occupational uncertainties that may lie down the road.

The Occupational Hazards of Winter Work

Winter work can be dangerous not only due to the slippery conditions and low temperatures. These conditions can both directly and indirectly create safety hazards that are very dangerous when not properly addressed by the employer and employees.

  • Road accidents. One of these hazards is the increased potential for road accidents and vehicle crashes during winter work and travel. Researchers found that winter-related crashes during work commutes were higher during certain times in the winter. Road accidents are particularly dangerous when they occur at remote worksites and the worker is stranded at the vehicle where help and communication may be limited, if they’re available at all.
  • Cold stress, hypothermia and exposure. When working in cold temperatures, people are at risk of cold stress and the several injuries and illnesses that could result when not treated immediately. OSHA says that working in cold environments for extended periods puts workers at risk of cold stress and its resulting hazards, including trench foot, frostbite, hypothermia and chilblains. What is surprising is how fast a worker can experience frostbite, which experts say can occur in as few as 10 minutes.
  • Slips and falls. Naturally, slips and falls can increase with wet, slippery surfaces in the winter. But what is not very well known is how dangerous a seemingly mundane fall can be for a person. Depending on the environment and what measures are taken now, a simple stumble could either be a sprained ankle or a fatal head injury.
  • Malfunctioning and damaged technology/equipment. Regardless of the industry, communication technology is a big component. Many devices are designed and built to withstand water and the cold. However, some common devices are still at risk, including smartphones. Researchers found that even brief exposures to extreme cold temperatures of -22 degrees Fahrenheit can impact battery health and operating systems.

What Employers Can Do

Before the temperatures begin to plummet, employers have the benefit of time to plan winter work practices as well as implement any preventative steps and measures now.

  • Plan winter PPE and technology. The types of PPE and protective winter clothing that people need to work this winter is incredibly paramount, if not legally required. These range from the basic necessities of warm, waterproof clothing to advanced safety monitoring apps that communicate valuable check-in messages and information. Not only does this PPE and clothing have to be purchased and ordered, but the equipment and technology needs of workers may need to be assessed and evaluated, requiring additional time beforehand.
  • Update protocols and policies. If there is not already a separate set of protocols and policies for cold-weather safety hazards, now is the time to update existing protocols to reflect the new hazards that winter presents to workers. However, if the hazards are significant enough (g., journey management plans for frequent winter travel), they may require their own safety policy.
  • Plan custom emergency kits. For the possibility of extreme weather and work accidents, plan and create emergency kits according to specific winter work hazards and the employee’s needs. These can include emergency kits for work vehicles, specific field sites and offices, people working from home, and workers who are mobile.
  • Provide safety training. A very effective, proactive safety measure is to provide training on specific areas such as snow removal from rooftops and elevated surfaces which OSHA provides resources for. Additionally, valuable training for other hazards can be provided, including winter driving and cold stress awareness.

What Employees Can Do

Likewise, while working in the winter, employees can make sure they are safe by consistently practicing behaviors that should be a part of the company’s culture and overall standards for occupational health and safety.

  • Look out for coworkers. The first important behavior that employees can adopt is to actively look out for the well-being of their coworkers while performing their jobs in the cold. In particularly cold and wet conditions, employees should monitor their fellow coworkers’ health and vice versa.
  • Use PPE properly. Especially when multiple layers of protective clothing and PPE are needed, it is very important to use and wear PPE as the instructions state. This includes making sure they are properly fitted as well. Because as OSHA says, “If the personal protective equipment does not fit properly, it can make the difference between being safely covered or dangerously exposed.”
  • Stay hydrated. Some may be surprised to realize it’s important to stay hydrated working the cold as well as working in the heat. Cold-weather dehydration exists because it can be more difficult to notice when the body sweats in the cold. Stay hydrated and warm by drinking warm fluids, carrying a water bottle at work or bringing soup for lunch.
  • Stay dry. Focusing on staying dry will keep the worker warm and, as a result, coherent and able to find help in an emergency. Using the best PPE and winter clothing is incredibly important, but the worker must work in ways that they stay dry throughout their shift. Even if a worker’s clothing is damp, it can increase the rate of heat loss from the body.

Stay Aware And Engaged

What all of these measures have in common is that they make sure that the workers are more aware of the hazards in these colder work environments. These steps engage the employer and employee in winter safety early so that nobody is unprepared when winter does hit.

Most importantly, updating work safety measures with winter and changing seasons demonstrates that the employer is thinking about the worker’s safety. It shows that anticipating dangers and making appropriate plans is a priority for both the company and the workers.

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