Tips for Preparing Your Business for Winter Weather

1/25/2021 (Permalink)

snowy road

Tips for Preparing Your Business for Winter Weather

• Check your business property for downed tree limbs and branches. Weather, such as wind, heavy rain, ice and snow, can cause branches to fall, which could cause damage to the property and potentially cause personal injuries.
• Inspect property, especially walkways and parking lots, for proper drainage to alleviate flood hazard potential. 
• Inspect all handrails, stairwells and entryways to address and correct potential slippery or hazardous areas. Install mats or non-slip surfaces and post caution signs where water could be present. 

Some employees have to work outside in the harsh of cold, for which we are grateful for. Those people include 24/7 emergency responders and other public servants. OSHA recommends the following tips for employers:

• Train your workers properly. Teach your employees winter safety tips for the workplace that will keep everyone safe and sound. These include essential skills like learning how to spot unsafe areas during blizzards, how to properly dress themselves for severe winter weather, and how to monitor themselves and their co-workers for signs of hypothermia, frostbite, or other winter ailments.

• Keep an eye on your employees. Stay in touch with your employees and/or supervisors to keep tabs on how the crew is doing. Sometimes, people suffering from hypothermia experience confusion and disorientation, so having an outside observer can save their life.

• Form a buddy system. Either suggest or require all workers to travel in groups of at least two. This will raise winter workplace safety and awareness, while reducing the possibility of a worker being abandoned or left behind to freeze in harsh winter weather.

• Provide areas of warmth and refueling. Plan ahead and make sure that your employees have a safe place to go in the event that they get too cold or need a warm beverage. This could be as simple as designating a tent with a space heater and some hot coffee. A little goes a long way, and a kind gesture can increase employee happiness and productivity in the long run.