7 Winter Weather Safety Tips for Builders
Prepare your crew for Wisconsin winters with these work safety tips.
Winter weather conditions can put your crew at risk for injury, illness, and cold stress injuries, like frostbite, hypothermia, and others. However, a few simple precautions can help prepare your team for the frigid temperatures and unruly storms ahead. Here are a few winter weather safety tips for builders this season:
1. Wear appropriate winter gear
2. Limit outdoor exposure
3. Avoid caffeine
4. Remove winter hazards from the job site
5. Know the signs of trouble
6. Have emergency kits nearby
Learn more about each winter weather safety tip for builders below.
Wear appropriate winter gear
Wearing winter gear designed to protect your crew from the elements is one of the first lines of defense against danger. If they plan to work outside for the majority of a cold winter’s day, be sure workers layer up, wear boots, gloves, hats, and a heavy coat. Look for breathable layers that don’t restrict movement. Rely on brands that carry construction-specific winter gear with heavyweight, insulated construction of fabrics like quilted nylon and arctic-weight polyester to trap warmth and keep cold at bay.
Lastly, ensure your crew wears hard hats to help protect them from injuries due to falling icicles or slippery terrain. Inserting hard hat liners can prevent heat from escaping, so they stay warmer.
Limit outdoor exposure
If the weather forecast calls for extreme temperatures, be sure to limit your crew’s outdoor exposure to protect their health. According to OSHA’s Cold Stress Equation, the level of danger depends on the combination of outdoor temperature and wind speed. If winds are around 20 mph, skin can freeze within a minute when the temperature is 10 degrees. If no wind is present, freezing can happen in the same time frame at temperatures between -10 and -20 degrees.
Experts recommend the following tips for limiting exposure in these conditions:
Schedule work during the warmest part of the day
Use the buddy system so workers can monitor each other
Contract more workers for long and demanding jobs
Schedule frequent breaks, such as 15 minutes for every hour worked
Provide warm shelters during break periods with hot beverages and heaters
Use remote communication tools to keep tabs on your crew
Avoid caffeine
Most of us love a good cup of coffee before work in the morning. However, caffeine has a tricky effect on the body in the cold. Its properties increase heart rate, which can make you feel warmer than you really are. Instead, encourage your crew to sip on decaffeinated hot drinks, such as decaf coffee, tea, hot apple cider, or simply hot water with lemon.
Remove winter hazards from the job site
The winter brings many surprises to the environment, including possible dangers from snow and ice. This winter weather safety tip for builders suggests the importance of supervisors inspecting the worksite before allowing all the construction crews to begin their work. Remove as much snow and ice to ensure you’re compliant with OSHA’s General Industry Standard 1910.22(a)(3), which states:
Walking-working surfaces are maintained free of hazards such as sharp or protruding objects, loose boards, corrosion, leaks, spills, snow, and ice.
If your crew will be responsible for removing the snow and ice from worksites, reference OSHA’s guide to snow removal hazards here. Throwing down sand or salt to melt ice patches and encouraging everyone on your crew to wear boots with adequate traction are additional protective measures that can help keep everyone safe.
Know the signs of trouble
Another winter weather safety tip for builders is to ensure that you and your crew are up-to-date on required training sessions that outline common symptoms of cold stresses. While these educational offerings often take place in warmer months in preparation for winter, brief daily reminders can help reinforce this potentially life-saving information. Check out the symptoms and first aid tips for frostbite, hypothermia, trench foot, Chilblains, and angina (cardiac issues) here.
Have emergency kits nearby
Place winter-weather emergency kits on the job site and in your company’s fleet of work vehicles. Include winter essentials, such as shovels, ice scrapers, a heavy blanket, protein bars, cat litter for emergency traction, tow straps, backup cell phone batteries, and emergency flares. Suggest that your crew assemble a kit for their personal vehicles as well.
These winter weather safety tips for builders can help protect you and your crew from injury and illness this season. For more tips and safety information, continue reading our blog.