Winter Weather And Workplaces: Keep Your Employees Safe

winter weather workplace safety

As a business owner, if you have a team of employees below you, it is your job to keep them safe while they are at work. This is a part of running a business that a lot of business owners can struggle to get to grips with - ensuring that they take adequate care of their team members. It is not just a case of ensuring that all in-office safety precautions are in place, such as fire alarms, carbon monoxide alarms, and office entrances that are only accessible by key card, it is also about thinking outside of the office. 

You see, when it gets to winter, the weather conditions change, which can have an impact on the health and safety of your employees. You need to ensure that throughout the year, including in winter, you are keeping your team members safe. The law states that employers have a responsibility to provider workers with employment and a place of employment which is free from hazards, including winter weather-related hazards. 

Bearing that in mind, the question is, of course, what does it take to do this? For everything that you need to know about winter weather and the workplace, read on

Adequate Employee Training 

The first step to protecting employees in cold weather is to invest in adequate training for them. The type of training that this is will depend on the type of environment that they work in. 

However, every single business type should invest in employee training for colder weather. For businesses that have team members working outside, this may consist of advice for working safely and dressing to stay warm at all temperatures. Whereas, for businesses where employees work in offices, this could consist of knowing when it is and isn’t safe to drive to and from work. Road conditions in the colder months can be treacherous, which is why adequate training on when it is and isn’t safe to drive is so vital. 

Keeping The Premises Safe 

Then there is the task of keeping your premises safe for your team members. The question is, how can you go about doing this in cold and icy conditions? Gritting all surfaces each evening and morning is one way that you can help to prevent slips and falls related to the weather. Investing in snow removal on days where the snowfall has been heavy, is another thing that you can do to protect your team members from accidents related to the weather. In the colder winter months, you need to ensure that your premises is safe for your team, and will not put them at risk of serious harm. 

Providing A Warm Working Environment 

One of the most important things during the colder winter months is that you provide your team members with a working environment that is warm enough for them, and will not cause them to be cold while at work. 

This can be somewhat of a struggle if you have team members who work outside, but providing them with warm enough clothing and a place indoors to warm up in is important. For indoor staff, ensuring that the office heating keeps the space at a suitable temperature is important. 

As an employer, it is your job to keep your team members safe at your business whatever the time of year. Of course, in the colder weather, this task becomes even more important, which is why knowing what steps that you need to take to keep your employees safe is important.



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I hope you enjoyed this article about how to ensure employee safety and health during the winter season.

Interested in more articles about employee safety?

Read My Posts:

- 4 Tips For Employee Injury Management

- How To Respond To An Employee Injury Claim

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