There are plenty of safety hazards in and around a construction site, but if you are not aware of how you should treat your construction site in the winter, there are going to be some problems. Right now, it’s winter in New Zealand and Australia, and while these two countries are specifically famous for having warm weather throughout the year, there are still places around the country where construction tradesmen and women are at risk of slip, trip and fall hazards.
You and your co-workers need to stay safe and while you have construction insurance as part of your business, staying healthy and safe on site this winter should be a priority for you anyway. There is no better time than right now to ensure that you have done a check to ensure that your construction site is safe. Below, we have some tips to help you to stay safe on site this winter.
- Get to know the weather where you are. If you’re not used to the cold weather, then you need to be keeping up with the weather forecast to ensure that you are aware of how the weather is affecting you and your business. What’s the point in the weather forecast if you’re not going to check it? When you check the weather 2 to 3 times a day, you can be aware of whether the temperature is going to drop too low, or whether you will be dealing with icy conditions at a height.
- Report any concerns you may have. To your colleagues, to your bosses, to anybody who will listen – you need to report any safety concerns you may have about the site. Temperatures can drop very low in the winter and when you combine this with high wind and dust speed and rain, this means that the sites could be quite treacherous. Rain and cold together make ice, which can make a slipping and falling hazards even more dangerous around the site. Speak to your boss about your concerns and don’t work on a site that is not safe.
- Dress appropriately. You should have PPE clothing given to you by your employer to ensure that you are safe on site. This can range from steel toe boots to high viz safety gear so that no matter the conditions you will be seen by your colleagues. You should also be wearing insulated hats and gloves as well as hard hats so that you can ensure that you are safe. It’s not just safety from slips and trips but from things like frostbite and in extreme cases hypothermia
- Have your work vehicles inspected? The cold weather doesn’t just play havoc on the site but on the engines and hydraulics for different types of equipment. When was the last time your working equipment was inspected properly? You need to ensure that a mechanic has come out to do this before you start on the job site so that you are not left worrying about your machinery breaking down.
