We know winter is the last thing you’ll want to be thinking about with plenty of autumn still left to enjoy. However, if you’re an employer, then getting your office prepared for any threats that winter may bring should be done well in advance. This ensures that the right provisions are in place once the temperatures begin to drop and you can be confident that your staff members will be safer.
This is important no matter the industry you operate in with roughly 1.8 million workers suffering from work-related injuries or illnesses last year. Many of these could have been avoided with the correct infrastructure in place during the winter months. So, if you want to make sure your workplace is up to a standard that can keep your employees safe, then read our guide below to see what you need to do.
Perform regular risk assessments
The cold months can bring fresh challenges to the safety of your employees, so it’s important to regularly review your risk assessments. This means you can plan accordingly and ensure there’s a safety procedure in place for any threat around your office or worksite.
If you’re unsure how to write a risk assessment that works for your employees, then there’s plenty of advice around the internet to follow.
Provide extra heating
You won’t want cold employees in your office during winter. Not only can it cause illness but being cold can decrease productivity too, meaning you won’t be fully benefiting from your employees. You can opt for quick fixes like work jackets and gloves or spend a little extra to make sure your heating system is working efficiently with new central heating pumps like these sold at RS.
Provide PPE when needed
Winter brings harsh weather conditions, which can impact the safety of staff in outdoor working environments like construction sites. This makes personal protective equipment even more important. Some of the winter PPE you should consider include:
- Insulated high-visibility jackets and trousers
- Insulated boots
- Thermal lightweight gloves
You may also decide to spend a little extra to help employees who drive get to and from work safely with winter tyres for their cars. These offer greater traction in wet or slippery road conditions with deeper tread depths and high natural rubber composition.
Provide the right supplies around the office
Hot drinks and flu medicines will be your employee’s best friends throughout the winter months. These can help them stay warm and get rid of illnesses that may be impacting their productivity, so keep your workplace stocked up on teas, coffees as well as cold and flu sachets for them to freely use when needed.
