Top winter safety tips
January 2nd 2008

The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH), has produced a few tips to help ensure your workplace remains a safe place, despite the weather, over the winter period.

The recent cold snap in America shows just how hazardous working, and travelling to work, can be in the winter. The key, as always, is to be prepared.

1. The most common cause of winter work accidents are simple trips and slips. They account for 38% of major injuries at work and over a quarter of injuries requiring three or more days off work. In 2006-7 this involved 10,790 major injuries and 26,732 injuries needing three days or more off work.

For businesses and other organisations make sure frequently used access paths which get covered with frost or snow are cleared, gritted or salted to help prevent people slipping. However, there is no need to clear an entire area of snow if the public or employees are unlikely to walk on it.

2. Driving in severe winter conditions or commuting to work will involve increased risk. Decide if your car journey is really necessary, particularly with technology offering working from home as a solution, or use public transport as an alternative to driving.

3. If you are going to drive in poor winter conditions make sure the vehicle is well maintained. Ensure you have topped up the windscreen wash and that there is enough screen wash liquid to prevent it freezing. Check tyre pressures, oil, coolant and antifreeze levels and top-up if necessary.

4. Useful items to be carried in a car in case of emergency in extreme winter weather include: a shovel, blanket, some water and food, boots, torch, de-icer and scraper, a couple of old newspapers (to help prevent tyres spinning), hi-vis jacket, mobile phone and map or sat nav to plan an alternative route.

5. If the journey is essential, inform someone where you are going and what time you expect to arrive.

6. It may be better to postpone an early morning journey a short time until the roads have been gritted or dawn has broken.

7. Listen to news and weather reports on the radio prior to and during the journey. Also while driving be aware of your surroundings so you can report your position should you become stranded.

8. Drive to the road conditions.

9. In the event of being stranded stay in the vehicle and keep the engine running – unless stuck in deep snow where there is a risk of build up of carbon monoxide from exhaust fumes. Use a mobile phone to let someone know where you are stranded.

10. Make your vehicle as visible as possible to emergency services. You can do this by using lights or tying a brightly coloured scarf to the aerial.

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