Safety Q&A: Don’t be surprised by winter storms – Technologist

Question: What do I need to do to prepare our operations for the winter season?

Answer: Start by training employees regarding winter weather safety awareness to ensure everyone is prepared and ready to implement a winter operations action plan focused on the areas listed below.

Operations:

• Entrances and exits: Designate an employee to remove snow and ice at common entry and exit points, including all emergency exits. Outline this responsibility in a written plan. Consider alternative shifts and weekend hours to ensure someone is always available. This individual should have the ability to order more de-icer fluid when it’s needed.
• Equipment and tools: Snow shovels, de-icer salts, protective gloves, rubber boots, and other related tools should be maintained and readily available in a designated location. Identify this location on your company evacuation map.
• Winterization of equipment and structure: Be mindful of frozen pipes or hydraulic equipment that may perform differently in cold temperatures outdoors.
• Parking lots: Surface areas that accumulate ice and snow include employee parking lots, driveways, and company-owned roads. Provide the proper equipment for maintaining these areas such as vehicles with a snow-shovel attachment.
• Winter evacuation map: Consider updating your emergency evacuation map to include areas of your operation that could be hazardous in the colder months due to excessive snow or ice. Examples include shipping areas that are open to vendors, trucks, contractors, and visitors.

Company Vehicles:

• Conduct pre-operation checks on company vehicles and production rolling stock to ensure they are warmed up, windshields are defrosted to ensure visibility for the driver, and excess snow and ice is removed from wheel-wells. This may require allowing an additional 5-10 minutes for an existing pre-operation vehicle check.

Training:

• Conduct annual awareness training prior to winter for all employees who would be affected by working in winter weather. This includes your drivers, production employees, and administrative office employees. In future years, you should aim to conduct the training by October or November, but better to do so late than not at all!
• Consider similar training for new employees, visitors, and contractors.
• To prevent injuries, conduct daily stretches to help employees warm up prior to work activities.

Similar to your company’s heat illness prevention plan (HIPP) (required by some state safety and health agencies during the summer months), developing a winter operations plan could prevent many cold weather-related injuries and illnesses. Please reach out if we can help you! Your Vigilant Safety Professional is here to help you develop your plan.

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