25 Nov 7 Construction Safety Tips for Winter Weather: Andy Crown Construction
7 Construction Safety Tips for Winter Weather: Andy Crown Construction
When winter weather strikes, construction doesn’t stop, so knowing what to do to keep your workers warm and safe is critical. As another major winter storm brings snow and ice to parts of the country this week, now is a good opportunity to revisit basic safety tips for keeping your employees safe.
Site inspection and cleanup
Before permitting employees to begin work, inspect your building sites for downed power wires and trees when winter weather strikes. Clear any snow and ice off walkways, rooftops, scaffolding, and ladders, as well as all other walking and working surfaces. When there are ice conditions, make sure to emphasize the significance of fall protection to workers.
To melt frozen patches and enhance traction for workers, spread salt or sand on the ground. To minimize slipping, make sure icy spots that can’t be cleaned are clearly marked, and tell workers to slow down and take smaller steps, especially while carrying products and tools.
Remove any icicles that have formed or fence off areas to avoid employees from accidently breaking them loose and causing hazards from falling objects.
Keep an eye on the weather
The last thing you want is a construction site full of people trapped due to a blizzard that you were unaware of. Allow enough time for your personnel to secure the building site and return home safely before bad weather strikes.
Keep an eye on workers for signs of hypothermia and frostbite as the temperatures drop. Ascertain that employees are dressed appropriately for the weather, and urge them to take frequent breaks to warm up.
Make a heated break room available
In order to keep their bodies warm, workers waste more energy when working in cold weather. Make sure your personnel have access to a heated trailer, tent, or inside location where they can warm up from the cold. Encourage workers to take frequent pauses to rest and warm up, drink warm liquids, and change out of damp gear to reduce exposure to the weather.
This is an excellent moment to look for signs of exhaustion, frostbite, or hypothermia in your staff. Remind employees that stimulants such as caffeine, nicotine, and other stimulants raise their pulse rate, making them feel warmer than they are.
If you’re going to use portable heaters in a break room, ensure sure the area is well ventilated and that CO sensors are used to monitor for carbon monoxide exposure.
Personal protective equipment (PPE)
When winter weather conditions are prevalent, take extra precautions to ensure that workers are wearing the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE).
To prevent against falling objects such as icicles and slipping and falling on ice, hard helmets should be worn at all times. Hard helmets with liners will keep employees warm and prevent heat from escaping.
Gloves and mittens should be chosen so that workers with sufficient manual dexterity can handle tools and materials. Remind workers to wear gloves at all times, particularly while climbing ladders, scaffolding, or climbing onto construction equipment. If workers contact excessively cold metal with their bare hands, they risk frostbite.
When wearing steel-toed boots, workers should wear waterproof boots with non-slip bottoms and extra socks to keep warm because the metal works as a cold sink.
Warm up your tools and equipment
Before using heavy equipment, make sure it’s properly warmed up according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Because electrical wires and hoses can become brittle in freezing conditions, it’s critical to let them warm up properly before using them to avoid damaging your equipment.
Check that the fluids in your equipment, such as engine and hydraulic oils, are rated for the temperatures in your area and replace them if necessary. Make that the heaters in the cabs are working correctly and that the windshields and steps are free of ice and snow. To keep your workers warm, avoid utilizing any equipment that does not have an enclosed cab.
When working with air compressors and pneumatic tools, you must also take extra measures. After each usage, drain the fluid from the air compressor tanks to avoid the moisture from freezing and harming the tank. To defend against the cold, use antifreeze tool oil in your pneumatic tools and air hoses. Warm up your empty nail guns by firing them at 40 PSI in frigid temperatures before using them.
Clothing
When working in cold weather, one of the most important things to remember is to stay warm. The trick is to strike a balance between wearing enough layers to stay warm while also being able to move about freely enough to do your job.
To prevent moisture from leaking into your gear, layer your clothing with moisture-wicking thermals on the inside and a waterproof outer layer on the outside. It’s critical to change into dry clothes if your clothing gets wet to avoid losing body heat.
Wear knit hats and earmuffs for the head, wool socks for the feet, balaclavas for the face, and gloves and mittens for the hands to limit the amount of flesh exposed to freezing temperatures, paying special attention to the extremities.
Incorporate emergency supplies into work vehicles
Check to see if your company’s fleet of work trucks and cars has winter weather emergency kits. A shovel, ice scraper, and brush should be included in your gear, as well as a sleeping bag, drink, non-perishable snacks like protein bars, tow straps, emergency flares, and a cell phone backup batteries. If you become stuck, it’s also a good idea to have some kitty litter, snow, or sand on hand to help with traction. Encourage your employees to put together emergency kits for their own vehicles.
When driving in the snow or ice, be cautious. To avoid accidents, allow plenty of time to get at your destination and leave plenty of space between yourself and other vehicles.
LET A SKILLED ACCL CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTOR TAKE ON THE PROJECT FOR YOU.
Want to know more about keeping your basement free of water? or Have questions about how to take care of your roof? Need to install Light fixtures, Motion sensor lights, Receptacles, electrical panels, electrical installations, and wiring, for your home? – kitchen and/or bathroom repair or new installation, please do not hesitate to contact the # 1 Contractor in Ontario, at www.andycrownconstruction.com. Or call us at 416-759- 8567, 905-448-5909, 1-866-701-8484 for an estimate.
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