Managing Health and Safety During The Winter

Winter Workplace Health and Safety Making sure your workplace is safe is essential all times of the year. However, winter comes with a few extra challenges and some of the things that can occur you might not consider under your jurisdiction but they are. From slips and trips on frozen paths to poorly lit dark areas, there are lots of accidents that can occur during winter. As a business you should aim to reduce as many winter hazards as possible to help prevent injury to your employees and any visitors that your business might have. Keep reading below to find out more about some of the common risks inside and outside your business and what you can do to help make the areas safer. Hazards Outside Your Business Outside hazards are more common for businesses than indoor ones in the winter. Most hazards are caused by wet and icy weather and some of the most common hazards to occur are: Frozen over areas such as pathways and car parks Black ice on road and car parks nearby A build up of wet leaves can cause slippery surfaces or hide damaged paving Verges that staff cross or drive on could become slippery or bogged down Poor lighting on dark morning and nights, could make it difficult for staff to navigate areas How To Deal With Outside Hazards Whilst you can never eliminate risks outside your workplace, especially with the constantly changing weather conditions, you should be aiming to do everything reasonably possible to reduce hazards for your employees and visitors. There are a number of things you can do to help ensure outdoor winter risks are reduced such as: Ensure areas such as your car park are kept gritted to prevent icy surfaces Keep pathways clear of things such as a build up of leaves Place warning signs or cones around areas you believe to be too dangerous Block off areas that people shouldn’t be using Install new or stronger lighting in dark areas outside your building Fit a canopy over the entrance way to ensure an area is always kept clear of weather conditions Carrying out simply actions such as the ones listed above will help to show you are carrying out good practices in relation to winter health and safety. Which means should any accidents occur you are less likely to suffer any repercussions in the way of liability lawsuits. Improving Your Health and Safety Knowledge If you own a business and are wanting to improve your health and safety knowledge, then we can help. At Wise Global Training, we offer a wide range of health and safety training options which can help you to improve your knowledge, ultimately helping to keep your workplace and employees safe throughout the year. For more information or if you’d like to discuss our courses in more details then please don’t hesitate to get in touch. One of our team is always on hand to answer questions and deal with enquiries.

For more information on Managing Health and Safety During The Winter talk to Wise Global Training Ltd