Cold weather compliance: Step up your safety plans through winter

As temperatures fall, the risks of falls, injuries, and onsite collisions take a sharp upturn. Early action can protect your workforce from accidents, injuries, and absence during the winter months.

We've rounded up our top cold-weather compliance tips to keep your staff safe, warm, and productive when the mercury drops. Use it as a practical resource to ensure a safe and efficient winter season.

Plan ahead for snow and ice

Despite misconceptions about whether to grit your premises, maintaining a hazard-free site is a legal obligation. Builders merchants must take steps to ensure their working and retail spaces are as safe as reasonably practical.

The Workplace (Health, Safety, and Welfare) Regulations 1992 state: 'Arrangements should be made to minimise risks from snow or ice, which may involve gritting, snow clearing and closure of some routes, particularly outside stairs, ladders, and walkways on roofs.'

This doesn't mean every inch of your yard must be treated, but prioritising high-traffic routes, such as customer walkways and paths from parking areas to your store, is crucial. To maximise the impact of your snow and ice measures:

• Keep a sufficient stock of rock salt and regularly check supplies until at least March.
• Restrict access to hazardous areas that can't be treated and clearly mark alternative routes.
• Monitor weather updates to time gritting activities effectively.
• Implement a formal check process to regularly review and address the impact of weather across your site.

Stay safe on ladders

Ladder safety is a critical area where temperature changes can have a profound impact on safety compliance. Cold weather introduces new risks that must be addressed:

• Check that ladders are free from ice or moisture before use.
• Inspect ladders for any defects prior to use, particularly following temperature drops that may have caused warping or weakening.
• Familiarise yourself with regulations around ladder use, as they should only be used for low-risk, short-duration tasks.
• Complete task-specific risk assessments for all ladder work.

Take a fresh look at forklift safety

Cold weather can have a significant impact on forklift safety, raising specific risks that need to be managed:

• Icy surfaces in the yard can reduce forklift stability. Apply extra rock salt to the areas around loading areas and routes to and from the yard to maintain traction.
• Cold weather leads to battery degradation in electric forklifts, potentially resulting in power failures during operation. Regular battery checks and keeping vehicles sheltered or plugged in when not in use can mitigate this.
• Visibility can be impacted by fog, rain, and low winter sun, especially during early morning and evening shifts. Install additional lighting and encourage forklift operators to slow their speed in adverse weather conditions.

Step up PPE provision

Cold temperatures call for enhanced PPE protocols to safeguard your workforce:

• Provide appropriate PPE for cold weather conditions such as insulating gloves, additional hi-vis layers, and weather-resistant footwear.
• Ensure that PPE remains functional and effective in wet and cold conditions.
• Update safety signage to reflect winter-specific risks and remind staff of cold-weather PPE requirements.

Review your working at height assessment

Ladders and other structures become more dangerous in wet or icy conditions, so it's important to review your working at height assessment to account for these specific risks. The Work at Height Regulations 2005 require employers to implement measures to prevent falls and protect the safety of workers operating at height. During winter, this may include:

• Conducting additional site assessments before and during winter to identify new fall hazards.
• Implementing enhanced safety measures such as non-slip coatings on surfaces exposed to the elements.
• Making use of mobile elevated work platforms (MEWPs) where possible, providing a safer alternative to ladders.

Check your fire safety preparations

Winter weather can have a profound impact on your fire safety measures. Cold snaps can cause sprinkler and fire suppression systems to malfunction or freeze. To keep your fire safety systems in good working order over winter:

• Inspect and test all fire safety systems regularly, including fire alarms, fire extinguishers, and suppression systems.
• Ensure that fire exits are unobstructed and accessible despite snow and ice accumulation.
• Review and update your fire evacuation plan to account for winter conditions, including any changes in staff schedules or site layout.

Defend against the risk of flooding

Flooding poses an increasing risk to businesses each winter. The impact of flood damage can be severe. A few relatively simple steps can protect your business from floods:

• Assess your business' vulnerability to flooding by reviewing local flood risk maps.
• Implement flood protection measures such as sandbags, flood barriers, and water-resistant storage.
• Ensure that your emergency response plan includes specific provisions for flooding scenarios, including evacuation procedures and recovery measures.

Call us for expert support

Cold weather doesn't have to mean increased risk. With proactive planning and targeted measures, you can keep your team safe and your business compliant throughout the winter months.

Our consultants can provide a comprehensive review of your cold-weather safety preparations. Contact us today to book a consultation.