Health & safety bulletin
Winter working: fewer daylight hours, more emphasis on staying safe
7th November 2007
As the dark and wintry nights fall upon us, it is important to ensure that hazardous areas on-site are identified, and procedures put in place to minimise the risk of accidents.
Many of the following points of advice may appear to be ‘common sense’; however, even common sense can be overlooked, potentially causing unnecessary accidents.
Six points to consider when working in winter conditions:
- Diminished visibility – Engineers and their work area should be clearly identifiable by staff and patrons. Fluorescent jackets should be worn at ALL times when on-site.
- Protection of work area – Rigid barriers should be used on all sites to protect the work area. Crew vans with reflective markings offer a safe means of sectioning off a work space, and on forecourts in particular provide a strong defence from on-coming traffic. Cones and tape can then be used in addition to rigid barriers as extra visual warnings.
For further information on using crew vans as barriers, see Protecting your work area.
- Work schedule – Work should be prioritised throughout the day to cater for early nightfall. Any intricate work or work at height should be prioritised, where possible, for hours of daylight where full concentration and visibility are essential.
- Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) – High visibility vests, gloves, eye protection and harnesses (if carrying out work at height) should be worn at all times, to ensure that engineers can be easily identified and meet health and safety regulations and best practice for PPE.
For further information regarding PPE used by Xmo Strata crews, see Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
- Risk assessments / Safety method statements – Risk assessments should be carried out before every job undertaken. During the winter months, particular attention should be paid to potentially slippery work platforms, which should be continually reassessed during periods of rain or snow. In conditions of high winds (as in the winter of 2006/7), it is important to take wind speed checks on every site to ensure that engineers will be safe to conduct work at height. Comprehensive assessments will establish any high-risk areas and allow engineers to address them accordingly.
- On-site contacts and emergency procedures – Engineers should be instantly identifiable to clients especially when working in the dark, and should be known to the Site Manager. High visibility vests should be worn and a company logo should be clearly displayed. Before work begins, on-site staff should make themselves familiar with the customer emergency procedures and designated muster points.