Divert pedestrians to less slippery walkways and barrier off existing ones.Consider covering walkways eg by an arbour high enough for people to walk through, or use an insulating material on smaller areas overnight.Use grit (see separate article below for more detail) or similar, on areas prone to be slippery in frosty, icy conditions. Put a procedure in place to prevent an icy surface forming and/or keep pedestrians off the slippery surface.There are also smart signs on the market, available to buy at low cost, which display warning messages at 50 and below.Keep up to date by visiting a weather service site such as the Met Office or the Highways England. You need to take action whenever freezing temperatures are forecast.Monitor the temperature, as prevention is key.Identify the outdoor areas used by pedestrians most likely to be affected by ice, for example: - building entrances, car parks, pedestrian walkways, shortcuts, sloped areas and areas constantly in the shade or wet.To reduce the risk of slips on ice, frost or snow, you need to assess the risk and put in a system to manage it.If a canopy is not a possibility, consider installing large, absorbent mats or even changing the entrance flooring to one which is non-slip.Fitting canopies of a good size over building entrances and in the right position can help to prevent this. Many slip accidents happen at building entrances as people entering the building walk in rainwater.Putting the path in the right place from the start may save you money in the long term. On new sites, before laying paths, think about how pedestrians are likely to move around the site.Consider converting existing shortcuts into proper paths. Discourage people from taking shortcuts over grass or dirt which are likely to become slippery when wet.When fitting external paved areas ensure that the material used will be slip resistant when wet.Put in place a procedure for removing leaves at regular intervals you might even consider removing the offending bushes or trees altogether. Wet and decaying leavesįallen leaves that become wet or have started to decay can create slip risks in two ways, they hide any hazard that may be on the path or they themselves create a slip risk. If you can't see hazards on the ground you will need to improve the lighting (eg new lights or changing the type of bulb). It is important to do this both inside and outside of the workplace, as the effect of light changes during the day. Another way is to shadow your employees for a couple of days, walk the main internal and external routes that they use throughout their working day. Is there is enough lighting around your workplace for you and your workers to be able to see and avoid hazards that might be on the ground? The easiest way to find out is to ask your staff. Issues to consider during the winter months.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |