Winter Weather: 8 Tips to Prep Your Employees

Winter weather can hobble your businesses, especially start-ups that fail to prepare employees. Operations can slow down to critical levels as the temperature drops to dangerous levels. The worst thing you can do is force your employees to work in these conditions. Besides getting Illinois commercial insurance, there are certain things you can do to ensure their safety.

Top 8 Tips to Prep Employees for Winter

Here are some things you can do to ensure your employees remain healthy and motivated during harsh winter weather:

1. Provide Protective Tools to Mobile Employees

Employees who need to work outdoors have to be especially careful when the temperature drops outside. As their employer, you have a duty of care to train and prep them against frostbite and other winter hazards. Provide them with the appropriate equipment they need.

For example, make sure mobile employees have an emergency supply kit in their vehicles and proper tires, complete with spares. If they must stop work till the weather clears, a blanket and heater will keep frostbite at bay.

2. Maintain Contact

Electricity repair crews are busier during this weather and have higher chances of getting injured. Besides providing safety equipment, call them regularly to check up on their condition.

3. Watch Out For Hypothermia Signs

Hypothermia is called the silent killer for a reason. The symptoms are subtle but visible. Consider establishing a buddy system during extreme winter weather and train employees on the signs. These include shivering, amnesia, poor judgment, and apathy, among others.

4. Provide Contact Info for Emergency Services

As symptoms progress, reflexes and focus will go. Give your employees the number of the nearest emergency service so they can call for aid as soon as they see these symptoms in their partner.

5. Provide a Warm Break Room or Location

Provide warming locations if your workers have a long way to trek to get to a heated break room. This can be a heated trailer, a company truck, a bus, or anywhere warm where they can drink something hot and change into dry clothes.

Equip the locations with portable heaters making sure carbon monoxide can escape. A heated tent may also work if you cannot afford a trailer.

6. Set Up Weather Alerts

If your workers work from home and come to the office irregularly, notify them if the weather worsens. Use automated communication solutions such as emails, phone calls, and texts. These don’t take long to set up and can save lives.

7. Reduce Slippery Surfaces

While the snow and sleet will keep making office floors slippery, address them proactively to prevent serious slip and fall injuries. Here are some measures you can take:

• Place mats on the entrances so employees can wipe off excess snow from their shoes before entering.
• Spread salt around the parking lot, entrances, sidewalks, and other outdoor areas.
• Make sure puddles and snow are mopped up before someone slips. Place caution signs around wet floors or water build-up on tiles till the cleaning crew arrives.

8. Maintain the Internal Heating System

Keep indoor employees safe from the chill by fixing/maintaining the HVAC system before the weather hits. Call in the professionals so they can check for damage that needs addressing.

These tips can help you prevent injuries in the workplace during the winter. But Illinois commercial insurance can prevent future liabilities.

Contact SIA Insurance Group for a Consultation Today

Your business is at risk of liabilities every day. When you start losing workers to injuries and accidents on the job, operations can halt. At SIA Insurance Group, we can determine and address these risks before creating an insurance plan to meet your needs. We aim to maximize your insurance coverage and reduce exposure. Contact us for a consultation by dialing 630-325-4000 today.