What Are Winter Hazards For Construction Workers?
Snow on the ground and a nip in the air may sound lovely when you are enjoying a hot chocolate before an open fire, but it poses hazards to construction workers who work under harsh conditions. Working in freezing conditions may have catastrophic consequences.
Winter Dangers Faced by Construction Workers
Snow, sleet, freezing rain, frigid temperatures, and winter storms can create a hazardous work environment. Ice builds up on equipment, pathways, roads, and workspaces. Pipes freeze, powerlines are downed, and scaffolding is iced over. While a winter wonderland may add beauty to the coldest season, it also brings inherent dangers.
Construction zones are notorious for injuries without the added perils that winter weather brings. Carrying on a typical workday is stunted by the extra work required to work in icy conditions. Because of this, there are more health risks and risks of injury.
Listed below are some of the dangers that winter construction workers face:
- Slip and fall accidents due to icy surfaces. Black ice can pose an additional threat.
- Frostbite, due to the cold, sometimes wet conditions, if not promptly treated, can cause permanent damage, even the loss of fingers and toes.
- Cold stress, when the body can no longer regulate and maintain its temperature, is one of the many hazards of exposure to frigid temperatures.
- Hypothermia occurs when a body uses all of its stored energy to maintain its temperature. Once the body temperature drops, the brain is affected, making clear thinking and moving problematic.
- Dexterity Loss happens when the cold weather stiffens hands and fingers, impairing a construction worker’s capacity to operate tools and equipment appropriately.
- Loss of alertness becomes a danger when a construction worker’s exposure to the freezing environment hinders them from focusing on the tasks at hand. Heavy equipment, power tools, ladders, and scaffolding become far more dangerous.
Unsafe conditions on a construction site can endanger the entire crew.
Construction Site Precautions
Some precautions are suggested by Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to safeguard construction sites. While accidents still happen, there are ways to keep worksites productive while better ensuring the safety of the construction workers. Here are seven safety precautions that severe weather worksites should consider implementing this winter:
- Training Workers on best practices for avoiding winter weather hazards is paramount to avoid injuries.
- Regularly inspect worksites and clear them of ice and snow.
- Check tools, equipment, and machinery regularly.
- Executing control measures such as regular snow plowing and utilizing heaters to reduce the possibility of a worksite injury.
- Appropriate Clothing, such as waterproof outerwear, gloves, mufflers, and shoes and socks, should be worn to protect workers from the cold and aid them in maintaining proper body heat.
- Requiring workers to wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) is essential in everyday work environments. But, it adds an extra layer of protection when surfaces are slippery and temperatures are freezing.
- Heated areas for workers to warm up regularly. Consistently taking breaks to warm themselves and to have a hot drink can protect them against cold stress.
These precautions can provide the safest work environment for construction workers exposed to extreme temperatures. Keep an eye on anyone working in harsh conditions to ensure that cold stress, frostbite, or hypothermia do not set in. We suggest that you practice good communication throughout the workday and make accommodations when necessary to provide a safe and productive work environment.
Winter Workplace Injuries
If you are working in a needlessly hazardous environment this winter or have sustained an injury due to working in unsafe conditions, please contact a New York personal injury attorney with Gattuso & Ciotoli, PLLC, with any questions you may have.