Winter preparedness can save you money and hassle.
As we enter winter 2023, many New Zealanders could be forgiven for wondering “what’s the difference?!” However, despite a less-than-stellar summer, there are several ways that your business should be preparing for colder weather, more rain and damp, and other winter woes.
It’s not often that you are forewarned of difficult conditions coming your way. But winter comes around every year—there’s no excuse to be unprepared for it!
Winter workplace risks
Most of the added risks that come with the colder months are directly related to the weather, while others are more indirectly related. They affect both people and plant, and include:
- More chance of slips and falls resulting in injury
- Increased incidence of respiratory illnesses
- In extreme cases, hypothermia
- More power outages
- Damage to equipment or vehicles
- Business disruption
The cost of weather-related events to businesses should not be underestimated; in 2021, insurance companies reported a record $305 million spent on weather-related claims, and we can only imagine what the figure will be at the end of 2023!
Absences due to winter illnesses are another big cost for companies. In winter 2022 these were reported to be at an all-time high. With COVID-19 added to the usual roster of respiratory viruses (and enforced isolation periods), it will likely be a few years of significant absences.
Of course, any increase in accidents is also expensive for businesses—and for all of these risks, it’s not just money at stake. The safety and wellbeing of workers should be paramount to all involved.
The benefits of being prepared for winter
A workplace that is prepared for winter is protecting both people and profit. Putting in the work beforehand means reducing all of the risks outlined in the previous section, minimising costs and adverse effects on your valuable human resources.
With the right measures in place, you stand a good chance of getting through the colder season with all plant, people, vehicles, buildings, and equipment in one piece. You’ll save money on insurance excess payments, hiked-up premiums, and covering time off. Most importantly, staff morale will take less of a hit—and we all know the benefits of happy, healthy, and engaged employees!
How to prepare the workplace for winter
Wondering what you can do to make winter smooth sailing? Here are our pointers for preparing your workplace:
- Conduct a risk assessment to identify potential hazards and areas of vulnerability. Draw on your experiences from previous winters.
- Develop a winter preparedness plan that outlines the steps to be taken to protect employees, plant, and processes. This will be unique to your workplace and operations, but will likely include the following points:
- Implement measures to prevent slips and falls, such as clearing snow and ice from walkways and using slip-resistant mats.
- Review PPE to ensure that your people will be warm and protected from the elements where necessary.
- Ensure that heating and electrical systems are functioning properly and have backup systems in place in case of power outages. Prioritise any repairs or upgrades necessary before winter hits.
- Regularly maintain and service equipment to prevent breakdowns and damage. You might need to beef up your maintenance schedules over winter. Consider creating space to bring store vehicles and equipment inside during rainy periods.
- Focus on wellbeing. Companies like MedPro can provide workplace flu vaccination proposals, allowing organisations to invest in the wellbeing of their employees. Some education on the topic of preventing the spread of illnesses in the workplace may be beneficial, particularly for office workers in close quarters (more info from WorkSafe). Ensure people feel able and comfortable to call in sick when necessary.
- In addition to physical wellbeing, consider the mental state of your people during the dreary winter months. Keeping staff morale up in the colder months is important like putting fuel in your vehicle, it keeps you and them going. You can: shout lunch unexpectedly on really horrible days, plan get-togethers (these could be after hours), have a BBQ breakfast, bring in a coffee cart one morning. However it looks like in your workplace, do things that show they are appreciated.
TL;DR: Get prepped, get through
Winter brings increased risks to the workplace which can affect employees, plant, and processes. By preparing for the colder seasons with a solid plan and beefed-up safety measures in place, your organisation is much more likely to come through with people and profits intact. Risks include:
- Slips and falls due to damp and ice
- Winter illnesses and other wellbeing issues
- Weather-related power outages
- Damage to equipment, vehicles, and buildings
These and other risks that increase during the winter months can both bring harm to your employees and cost a lot of money. To mitigate them, you should be conducting a risk assessment tailored to your workplace and developing an action plan to put into action before and during winter. This might include:
- Implementing anti-slip measures and beefing up PPE.
- Checking all electrical and heating systems and prioritising their maintenance/repair.
- Regularly maintaining and servicing vehicles and equipment to prevent breakdowns/damage.
- Prioritising wellbeing measures for your employees. This might mean offering flu shots or providing education on preventing the spread of respiratory illness.
Need help?
If you need an expert hand to help with your winter preparations—as well as reducing risk year-round and making sure your health and safety processes are on point—get in touch with the Emendas team. Streamlining your H&S and HR management with bespoke solutions is our specialty.