Author, Jadyn Brandt, Client Communications Coordinator, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
Winter is on its way, and companies are preparing for the colder months still ahead. Lower temperatures, heavy rain, and illnesses caused by the cold can all take away from the safety and efficiency of a business or job site.
Cold-weather related incidents are preventable if the proper steps are taken to ensure employee safety. That’s why it is important for employers to take necessary precautions, and prepare their employees for the seasonal changes.
To prepare for the winter weather, supervisors should be sure their workers are wearing the proper clothing in order to reduce body-heat loss, and are staying dry as much as possible; wet clothing can chill the body rapidly. It’s also important not to ignore shivering. Even if an employee says they are fine, persistent shivering is a sign it’s time to return indoors.
In addition to the cold weather, heavy rains, dense fog and substantial snowfall can decrease visibility on the job site, and on the road, which increases the likelihood of accidents with equipment or vehicles. If it is raining, the best thing to do is stay off of the roads. If avoiding the roads is not an option, be sure vehicles are equipped with properly inflated tires that are not bald or badly worn. This will improve traction and reduce the likelihood of losing control of the vehicle.
These are just some of the ways companies can mitigate weather-related incidents. If an accident does occur, SafetyOne™ users can complete an incident report mobile form. A tutorial on how to complete a mobile form can be found on the Rancho Mesa website. To help prevent accidents caused by a mechanical failure, SafetyOne users can file an inspection report for vehicles in need of service using the “Motor Vehicle” observation. A tutorial on how to complete an observation report can be found on the Rancho Mesa website.
Rancho Mesa also has a number of toolbox talks available for cold weather, including safety tips when using an industrial space heater and weather awareness for landscape contractors and tree care companies. To enable access to these weather-specific toolbox talks via the mobile app, Rancho Mesa recommends the SafetyOne administrator create a Winter Weather toolbox talk group specifically for these toolbox talks and assign the group to the desired projects or crews. This will make the winter weather-specific toolbox talks available to users in the mobile app.
Rancho Mesa recommends the following toolbox talks through SafetyOne:
Cold Weather
Driving in Wet Conditions
Effects of Weather
Hypothermia
LP Gas Salamander Heaters
Snow Removal
Temporary Heat Safety
Weather Awareness for Landscape Contractors
Weather Awareness for Tree Care Companies
To learn more about preparing for the winter weather or how to enable toolbox talks in SafetyOne, reach out to your client technology coordinator.