Do you know winter is one of the most dangerous seasons for construction workers? Well, low temperatures, rapid weather changes and snowfall are just some of the problems which workers face on the construction site almost every day during the winter months. Thinking about the ways to ensure the safety of your site and workers? No worries. All you need to do is be scaffolding savvy!
Construction sites can be dangerous for the workers at any time of the year. But, with shorter periods of daylight and cold weather, accidents are more likely to happen in the winter months. As the temperature gets colder, working around or on scaffold becomes difficult, leading to safety risks.
Hiring scaffolding in Horsham from a reliable company and ensuring your construction site stays safe is thus important during this time of the year.
Here’s everything you need to know for ensuring your site stays safe throughout the winter!
Scaffolding in Horsham: Factors to Consider For Avoiding Risks on Site
Poor weather conditions like heavy snowfall, wind, rain or ice can significantly impact the ability of a construction team to complete their work. Likewise, if your workers are out in the cold for too long, it may result in major illness. Since the well-being of staff is always a priority, you should not take it lightly or expose them to the adverse elements.
The greatest risk associated with using scaffolds is that with poor weather, comes an increased risk of trips, slips and falls. During the winter months, it is likely that the wooden planks and ladders will become very slippery when hit with ice, snow or rain. High winds can even risk workers losing their balance, resulting in fatal accidents.
Measures You Must Take To Ensure Safety
- Keep An Eye On The Weather
Experts believe it is best to postpone work until the conditions improve if the weather becomes too difficult. This includes heavy snowfall, torrential downpour and severe frost early in the morning. You should keep an eye on the weather forecast regularly so that you can identify the times where your work may be paused. Thus, it is always wise to be prepared for the worst.
- Increase Safety Checks
Increased safety checks can help you ensure that all kinds of potential safety issues are identified and fixed before accidents occur. Though these checks should be done all throughout the year, these become more important in winter. General safety checks like assessing the scaffolding structure should be conducted regularly.
- Avoid Risk Of Slip
Harnesses must always be worn by workers when working at heights. This becomes more vital in the winter months since harnesses prevent falls and slips. You can even install slip-resistant boards to reduce the possibility of accidents.
Time to be scaffolding savvy and ensure safety on your construction site!
