Tips to keep your employees safe when the Temperatures dip during the Winter Months.
During the Winter Months, many businesses tend to have additional workers compensation claims as a result of their employees being exposed to extreme weather conditions. Preparing for this situations does not have to be very time-consuming or costly for your business here are seven tips you can use to better prepare your staff for dealing with the Winter Weather in your area.
Train for the conditions
If you live in a cold climate, you may assume your employees know how to deal with the conditions they face in their job. In order to prevent a sickness or injury, take additional time to properly prepare your employees for the rigors of the winter weather.
Equip your employees properly
It is worth the investment to buy your employees proper clothing. A proper jacket may cost $100 but the average trip to the emergency room is more than $1,200. This is a cost that can severely impact your experience modification rating. This rating is the main way underwriters determine what to charge a business for insurance coverage.
Gradually introduce workers into cold environments
Gradually introducing employees to the cold is important both throughout the day and throughout the year. For new employees it is best to keep them out in the elements for half a day until you can determine how well they deal with the elements. Even for experienced employees it is important to ease them in to heavy duty in extreme temperatures. At the beginning of the Winter Season it may be a good idea to keep employees out of the cold as much as possible for parts of the day.
Work in pairs
Even the most seasoned Winter Weather Worker may need help from time to time. Working in pairs is the best way to keep an additional set of eyes on your staff to ensure they are all safe at all times.
Supervisors monitor workers
It is the role of the supervisor to keep the employees healthy and productive. Healthy is the most important part of this job, because if the employees are not healthy they cannot be productive. Having your supervisors periodically check in on all employees is essential to keeping the staff operating throughout the entire Winter Working Season.
Schedule breaks in warm areas
No matter what an employee tells you, they need to take breaks when dealing with Extreme Winter Weather Conditions. Have a strict schedule for when they take their breaks is a must. Making sure there is a place for the employees to get out of the cold is important and it is equally important to make sure the employees take advantage of this area.
Encourage Adequate Hygiene
Winter is the time of year when people are at risk of getting sick. Making sure your employees are using proper hygiene procedures can ensure they do not get sick, and if someone does get sick proper hygiene can prevent other staff members from getting sick as well.