It’s finally here! The happiest time of the year is just around the corner and with it comes so much festivities, happiness, family, and of course, winter time. It is a season full of love and joy, but also a time when construction work can be significantly hindered by the cold weather. Because of this, safety should always be the number one priority for any commercial construction contractor during winter projects. Here at AG Contractors & Design, we work with licensed contractors who specialize in the topic and know how to handle these types of situations and specific weather. However, we want to help other teams of contractors keep their projects safe, but most of all, keep their teams safe. We’ve gathered for all of you some safety construction tips for this winter so you can enjoy the season and be ahead on your projects, all while staying safe and truly protected.
WINTER EFFECTS ON CONSTRUCTION
The main difficulties contractors face during winter :
Some are the weather conditions: cold, wind, and sometimes ice and snow. These elements can cause various problems and safety concerns for workers and equipment. If you’re not careful, your whole project can easily be delayed due to an injury or some other type of incident. That’s why you must take all the necessary precautions to avoid these types of accidents.
Other difficulties include working around the holidays when people are more likely to be off from work and less available to help out with the project. This can put a lot of pressure on the team that is working and can lead to mistakes being made, this is why we highly recommend that you hire professional commercial construction contractors that can assure you that they will get the work done during this season if that’s what they really promised. It’s important to be aware of all the hazards that come with working in the winter and take the necessary precautions to avoid them. Following these safety tips can help keep your team safe and your project on track.
SAFETY TIPS FOR WORKING IN THE WINTER
1. KEEP TRACK OF WEATHER FORECASTS
It is important to keep an eye on the weather forecast so that you know what conditions are going to be like for your workers. This includes knowing when they should go out in certain situations, such as if there’s a blizzard or hail storm coming soon! Check with local channels and weather services that will definitely help keep you and your team safe!
2. PROPER CLOTHING
In order to avoid getting cold while working outside in the wintertime, workers should wear layers. The required clothing and gear can change based on temperature or weather conditions but always includes an insulating base layer along with waterproof outerwear that will keep them warm throughout their shift no matter what type of climate they’re experiencing at any given time.
Wearing proper protective equipment is essential for ensuring safety during extreme temperatures because it helps prevent frostbite injuries caused by contact sustained through open pores between your skin’s surface layer and colder environments around us such as those found within harsh winters where subzero lows combine with freezing foggy winds making things even worse. Small summary: make sure your team wears the right clothing depending on the weather that they’ll be working in.
3. CONSTANT INSPECTION ONSITE
The site supervisor must check in with the contractors before they begin work to make sure there are no unexpected hazards. Overnight, a tree may have fallen, ice might accumulate on your project site, and many other incidents that can happen just because of the time of the year, which could cause problems during construction if it isn’t addressed quickly enough. So, make sure your project site is always well taken care of and constant inspections by supervisors are being done.
4. AVOID CAFFEINE
Coffee is a common culprit for keeping workers warm during the cold winter months. But caffeinated beverages can make you feel colder than before because it speeds up your heart rate and makes any kind of sweatiness impossible! To stay hydrated while on the job, try drinking water instead; if there are no cups around (or too many competitive coworkers), sports drinks will do just fine as long they have some salt in them so that our bodies know how much energy we need every day because we tend to lose more electrolytes when it’s cold outside.
5. TAKE REGULAR BREAKS
To stay comfortable and productive, working in short bursts with regular breaks in between is always best no matter what the season is. But this is especially true for workers during wintertime because they need to keep their core body temperature up. So, take a break every 20 minutes or so to walk around, do some stretches, or just warm yourself up with your drink of preference (keep in mind the previous tip)!
In conclusion, by following these safety tips, you can help your team avoid any winter-related injuries and keep your project on track. Be sure to hire licensed contractors that know how to work in these conditions and always be aware of the weather forecast in order to plan ahead. Stay safe out there!
