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If the recent heat wave has you thinking about cooler weather, then now is the time to start readying work teams and coordinating winter safety plans for residential and commercial construction sites.

Before sleet and snow start falling, it’s important to take into account the most extreme weather conditions your workers will likely be facing and what elements may be lying about the jobsite.

Advance planning helps ensure that you’ve given due consideration to team member responsibilities and that roles are agreed upon ahead of time. If you are managing a multi-contractor worksite or are going to be performing work roadside, you must establish accountability so you can maintain job schedules even when winter weather events are factored into the equation.

The Progressive Builder sat down with Courtney Russell, a certified safety and emergency preparedness professional, for a Q&A session about how project and worksite managers can best plan a strategy for worksite safety in the winter months. Russell has more than 20 years of experience in the construction and other trade industries, both in the U.S. and the U.K. He has worked on a wide variety of projects with military, civilian, private and public sector operations.

TPB: What are some of the most overlooked safety precautions at construction sites during the winter months?

Russell: Not preparing for winter conditions often leaves crews scrambling at the last minute to deal with vast amounts of snow and ice. When plans to remove snow and treat icy conditions are coordinated with the host employers or local DPWs ahead of time, your work sites and schedules are less likely to be affected.

When roles and responsibilities are appointed and equipment is accounted for, both for personal safety and snow/ice removal, work can proceed efficiently. Most construction workers can adapt to adverse situations rather quickly but the public sometimes does not have the same patience, especially during the morning or evening commute. A fluent plan to work safely and efficiently is necessary in order to protect workers and the public at the same time:

  • Make sure the team has a predetermined traffic pattern plan for vehicles or pedestrians
  • Store equipment and materials onsite to treat sidewalks or roadways
  • Make sure workers know which way to push the snow to stockpile (either for melting or removal at a later time)

TPB: What should project managers be doing right now to address these areas?

Russell: Contractors and Project Managers should be securing their orders for winter weather gear for their workers, stocking de-icing and melting products, and a full complement of snow removal equipment—from windshield scrapers to snow brooms to blowers.

Vehicles with plows and equipment with buckets should be properly tuned up for operating in extreme- and below-zero-degree conditions. At the worksite, determine what materials will not be needed over the cold weather months. Remove non-essential equipment and waste so it does not interfere with emergency actions later.

Create a snow removal checklist, including phone numbers, to keep track of all the additional responsibilities necessary to successfully implement a winter weather plan. Never assume your work crews are on the same page as you, as chances are they are not. The biggest part of the plan is to have the accountability between the crews and project managers to ensure who is going to do what when it comes to clearing work areas.

Also, consideration should be given to melting and environmental conditions that dictate where snow can/can’t be piled up, such as next to conservation areas and storm water run-off.

TPB: What is important for workers to know/do in order to prepare for and work in extreme winter temperatures?

Russell: Again, understanding who will be responsible for specific aspects of the winter safety plan is necessary at the time of the weather event. Everyone on the worksite has responsibility towards making the area safe. If necessary, schedule experienced crew to be onsite to make the area safe before others arrive. Workers need to be mentally prepared to work outside and dressed for whatever Mother Nature throws at them.

Nothing stymies production quicker than shivering all day. Understanding exactly the type of protection your winter gear has to offer will help you endure and adjust to wet and cold conditions.

Ultimately, stay as dry as possible. A lot of manufacturers of winter clothing protective garments promise to keep you dry but you have to know your own body’s reaction to winter conditions in order to really understand what the best product is for you. Understand that your body heat is affecting your under garments while the snow or rain is affecting your outer protective clothing.

At some point, one of your layers is going to be need to be changed. Always pack extra clothes, snow boots and winter socks as you never know exactly how long a shift can last.

One final point that underlies the success of any plan: no matter how extreme the weather may be, make sure your entire crew is made aware of the plans well ahead of time. Give them the opportunity to make sense of it and offer comment if they see a problem or a better ways to do things. At the end of the day, it’s your workers that need to understand the plan as they are the ones who will carry it through.

Contact Information

Courtney P. Russell

CUSP 4000 Hadley Road, MC 430 South Plainfield, NJ 07080

Office: (908) 412-7282

Cell: (908) 251-7101

Karen M. Rider, M.A. is a Connecticut-based freelance writer. A member of the American Society of Journalists and Authors, Karen is regarded for the accuracy and integrity she brings to assignments, such as feature articles, interviews, website content, blog posts, and newsletters.

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