Cold weather compliance: Step up your safety plans through winter 

As temperatures fall, the risks of falls, injuries, and onsite collisions take a sharp upturn. Early action can protect your workforce from accidents, injuries, and absence during the winter months. 

We’ve rounded up our top cold-weather compliance tips to keep your staff safe, warm, and productive when the mercury drops. Use it as a practical resource to ensure a safe and efficient winter season.

Plan ahead for snow and ice 

Despite misconceptions about whether to grit your premises, maintaining a hazard-free site is a legal obligation. Builders merchants must take steps to ensure their working and retail spaces are as safe as reasonably practical.

The Workplace (Health, Safety, and Welfare) Regulations 1992 state:

‘Arrangements should be made to minimise risks from snow or ice, which may involve gritting, snow clearing and closure of some routes, particularly outside stairs, ladders, and walkways on roofs.’

This doesn’t mean every inch of your yard must be treated, but prioritising high-traffic routes, such as customer walkways and paths from parking areas to your store, is crucial. To maximise the impact of your snow and ice measures:

• Keep a sufficient stock of rock salt and regularly check supplies until at least March.
• Restrict access to hazardous areas that can’t be treated and clearly mark alternative routes.
• Monitor weather updates to time your gritting effectively. If freezing temperatures or snowfall are forecast overnight, apply salt to steps, slopes, and pathways in the late afternoon or evening. 

Strengthen your workplace transport strategy 

With winter weather comes reduced visibility, icy conditions, and snow, which significantly boost the likelihood of workplace transport incidents. Whether operating forklifts, heavy goods vehicles (HGVs), or other machinery, workers must be trained to follow strict safety protocols.

• Encourage drivers to promptly report icy or slippery surfaces.
• Remind operators that braking distances are longer in snowy or icy conditions and to adjust stopping times accordingly.
• Conduct pre-journey checks on vehicles, ensuring tyres, fuel, wipers, lights, and defrosters are in good working condition. 
• Equip drivers with essentials like ice scrapers, de-icers, breakdown kits, and warm clothes.

Keep indoor workers safe and warm 

Even indoor spaces like offices and shopfloors can become uncomfortably cold throughout winter, affecting your employees’ work rate and wellbeing. Take practical measures to create a more comfortable environment:

• Minimise draughts with door seals, excluders, and automatic doors. However, remember to maintain adequate ventilation and a source of fresh air. 
• Use portable heaters alongside central heating, ensuring they’re safely operated and clear of flammable materials.
• Provide insulating mats or footwear for employees standing on cold floors for extended periods.
• Supply suitable winter clothing, such as thermal gloves, boots, jackets, and coveralls, with waterproof or hi-vis options where necessary.
• Build frequent breaks into shifts, allowing staff to warm up in designated heated areas with facilities for preparing hot food and drinks.
• Adapt workflows to limit exposure to cold areas, potentially through job rotation or flexible scheduling.

Protect your outdoor workers from the cold 

Drivers and yard workers are particularly vulnerable during the winter months. Cold weather can reduce dexterity and concentration, increasing accident risks when using tools or machinery. In addition to standard winter safety measures, take extra precautions to safeguard your outdoor teams:

• Provide additional rest periods in heated shelters or mobile warming units and ensure breaks take place indoors. 
• Ensure easy access to hot drinks and appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE). Provisions should include thermal gloves, boots, jackets, and coveralls that allow unrestricted movement. 
• Consider rescheduling tasks to avoid the coldest parts of the day.
• Train managers and coworkers to identify the early signs of cold stress, such as shivering, fatigue, or muscle aches.

Solve your seasonal safety challenges

For personalised guidance on protecting your team through the year, speak to the Opus team. We’ll provide specialist support to maximise productivity, safeguard staff, and promote wellbeing – through winter and beyond. 

Email us at hello@opus-safety.co.uk or call 0330 043 4015. 

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