During the UK winter months, the weather can change and raise the risk of fall injuries for everyone, especially workers. Icy sidewalks and wet floors make it easier to have accidents. Both employers and employees need to know how important winter safety is. They should take steps to lower the chance of slips, trips, and falls. This blog will talk about these risks and share helpful winter safety tips to keep everyone safe.
Understanding the Risks of Winter Conditions
Falls can cause serious injuries at any time of year. These can include sprains, fractures, head injuries, and back problems. Falls can also lead to a lot of personal pain and days off work. So, understanding the specific risks of winter is the first step to avoiding accidents.
The winter season brings a range of conditions that contribute to slip and trip accidents. The main culprits include:
- Reduced daylight: With shorter days, workers may have less time to notice hazards, especially during morning and evening shifts.
- Wet and decaying leaves: Fallen leaves can be slippery, and when they become wet or begin to decay, they hide potential hazards and create additional slip risks.
- Ice, frost, and snow: Cold weather conditions often lead to icy patches on walkways, parking lots, and entrances, making it difficult for pedestrians to maintain their footing.
Employers must address these conditions and take proactive steps to reduce the likelihood of winter accidents. Just a few simple changes can help prevent workplace injuries.
Preventing Winter Slips, Trips and Falls
Improve Lighting Around Your Workplace
Good lighting is crucial for helping workers spot potential fall hazards, especially during the darker winter months. Take time to assess whether there is enough lighting around both indoor and outdoor areas that employees frequently use.
- Ask employees for feedback: They can provide valuable insights into areas where lighting may be insufficient.
- Conduct a walk-through: Shadow your employees for a couple of days, walking along the main routes they take. This will help you identify any dark spots that need better illumination.
- Consider upgrading lights: If needed, install new lights or change to more effective bulbs to improve visibility and ensure that workers can easily spot any hazards on the ground.
Address Wet and Decaying Leaves
Fallen leaves can be a major slip risk, particularly when wet or decayed. They can not only obscure hazards like uneven surfaces but also create slippery conditions of their own.
- Regular leaf removal: Implement a procedure for clearing leaves from walkways regularly, particularly after storms or windy days.
- Consider removing certain trees or bushes: If specific areas consistently accumulate a lot of leaves, consider removing these plants to reduce the risk.
Control Rainwater and Slippery Paths
Rainwater can create slippery surfaces, especially around building entrances and outdoor walkways. To address this risk:
- Use slip-resistant materials: When paving external areas, choose slip-resistant materials, even when wet. Set out absorbent mats during wet weather to prevent puddles from developing in walkways.
- Discourage shortcuts: Ensure employees avoid walking over grass or dirt patches that are more prone to becoming slippery when wet. If possible, convert frequently used shortcuts into paved paths.
- Cover entrances: Large canopies or awnings above building entrances can help prevent rainwater from pooling on the ground. If this isn't possible, non-slip mats or flooring can provide an effective alternative.
Monitor Ice, Frost, and Snow Risks
Icy conditions are among the most significant slip hazards during winter. Managing ice, frost, and snow requires planning and action to ensure that workers remain safe.
- Identify high-risk areas: Focus on areas where ice is most likely to form, such as building entrances, car parks, walkways, sloped areas, and shaded zones.
- Monitor temperatures: Stay updated on weather forecasts to anticipate freezing conditions. This will allow you to take action before ice forms.
- Take preventive measures: If freezing temperatures are predicted, take action early by salting walkways, using grit, or covering walkways with insulating materials. Alternatively, you can divert pedestrians to safer paths while the hazardous areas are treated.
Gritting and De-Icing
Gritting is a widely used and effective method for de-icing outdoor surfaces. Salt or treated grit can help prevent ice formation and melt existing ice or snow. However, it’s important to use it effectively:
- Pre-emptive action: Grit paths and walkways before frost, ice, or snow is expected—ideally in the evening before the frost settles or early in the morning before employees arrive.
- Avoid gritting in heavy rain: If it's raining heavily, grit may be washed away, and you may face challenges if the rain later turns into snow or ice.
- Consider the timing: Be aware of "dawn frost," a phenomenon where the early morning dew freezes on dry surfaces, often making it difficult to predict and treat.
Use Clear Signage and Barriers
To further reduce the risk of slips and trips, use clear signage and physical barriers to guide employees around hazardous areas.
- Warning signs: Display signs that indicate slippery conditions and warn employees to be cautious, especially in areas that may become icy. Make sure to remove them once the hazard has passed.
- Barriers: If possible, close off particularly dangerous walkways and direct pedestrians to safer routes. This is especially important in areas where ice or snow poses a major risk.
What are the most vulnerable areas for winter slips, trips, and falls?
The most vulnerable areas for slips, trips, and falls during winter months are icy pavements and carparks, wet and slippery entryways, and areas with poor lighting. It's crucial to keep these spaces clear of snow and ice and use salt or sand to improve traction and prevent accidents.
Developing a Winter Safety Culture
A winter safety culture at work means creating a place where everyone cares about safety. Open communication about potential hazards is key. People should talk about problems and act before any accidents happen.
Sharing winter safety tips is essential. For example, taking short steps on icy surfaces and being aware of your surroundings can help. Having a system to report potential hazards like icy patches or uncleared walkways is important too. This allows quick action and shows that you care about safety.
Conclusion
As we go through winter, it's very important to focus on safety and avoid slips, trips, and falls. We need to know the risks that come with ice and snow. Employers have a big part in keeping us safe by using good lighting and spreading grit on surfaces. Managing rainwater, wearing the right footwear, and training staff are important ideas for preventing accidents. We should create a winter safety culture and have emergency plans ready. By sticking to these best practices and making a safe place, we can lower the chances of accidents and keep the workplace secure for everyone.
