Working in cold weather can create dangerous conditions for your team. It is important your company is prepared so you can prevent hazardous situations.
Safety+Health magazine shares the following tips to help your company prepare for winter weather and adapt to changes in weather.
- Train your team. Be sure to provide cold weather information during new employee orientation, as well as ongoing training for current workers. Training should cover the four major types of cold stress injuries: hypothermia, frostbite, trench foot and chilblains.
- Pay attention and communicate. Watch the weather forecast closely. Use a communication system that informs all employees regarding how and when conditions are changing. Identifying potentially bad weather before it hits gives your company more time to prepare. It also allows teams to make decisions about whether they will need more people on the job site or whether a project should be shut down.
- Pack for the worst. Encourage employees to have a “go bag” or “storm bag” on hand with full changes of clothing and other cold-weather gear.
