Winter Weather Precautions

Winter weather is here and can create a variety of conditions including snow, ice, rain, and freezing temperatures. Each one of these weather conditions is associated with different hazards, but with a little bit of preparation and awareness, you can be safe in all kinds of weather. Below are things to keep in mind so you can be ready when winter weather hits. 

Driving: It’s important to maintain a safe speed in bad weather. Allow extra space between your vehicle and the one in front of you. Avoid sudden stops and quick direction changes. Keep your windshield, windows, and mirrors clear. This can be accomplished while performing your 360 walk around. Always buckle your seat belt and make sure your passengers do too. Ensure someone knows your route and try to limit your travel to the day time. Avoid side roads.

Slips, Trips, and Falls: Walk carefully and always keep your eyes on your path. Avoid walking on wet or slippery surfaces whenever possible. Report slip and fall hazards when you encounter them. Wear appropriate footwear that will provide good traction. Give yourself extra time to get where you’re going. Wear eye protection to ensure that wind, rain, and snow don’t affect your ability to see clearly.

Hypothermia can become a deadly health condition. It occurs when your body loses heat faster than it can produce heat. When your body temperature drops to 95°F or below (normal temperature is 98.6) your heart, nervous system, and other major organs cannot work properly. This can lead to heart failure, respiratory failure, and death. Symptoms include clumsiness, lack of coordination, slurred speech, confusion, drowsiness, or a combination of these. Hypothermia requires immediate medical attention.

Hypothermia/ Frostbite Prevention can be avoided if you dress for weather. Layer your clothing. The inner layer should wick away moisture, the middle layer should absorb perspiration and retain warmth, and the outer layer should protect against wind and allow for some ventilation. Be sure to keep your feet and hands warm and dry. Bring a change of clothes to work so you can change into dry pants, gloves, or socks in case the things you are wearing get wet. Know the symptoms of hypothermia and frostbite. Take a break to get warm when you need to. Work with a partner and keep an eye on each other.

Wind chill is the measure of how cold the air feels when taking into account the temperature as well as the wind, since it can make the apparent temperature considerably colder. Lower temperatures combined with higher wind speeds will make you more vulnerable to hypothermia and frostbite. Be sure to take this into account when making the determination of the possible outdoor temperatures and work durations.

Preventative Measures include: drinking plenty of liquids, avoiding caffeine and alcohol. It is easy to become dehydrated in cold weather. If possible, heavy work should be scheduled during the warmer parts of the day. Take breaks out of the cold setup a work/warmup schedule. Try to work in pairs to keep an eye on each other and watch for signs of cold stress. Avoid fatigue since energy is needed to keep muscles warm. Take frequent breaks and consume warm, high calorie food such as pasta to maintain energy reserves. Clear common pathways of snow and ice and put a layer of sand or salt. Conduct regular inspections on your cold weather supplies to ensure you have plenty in stock.

Be Prepared for Winter Weather. Have a plan. You can protect your family, your home, and your car by planning ahead. Before the start of the winter season, create a home disaster supply kit that includes a weather radio in case you become isolated in your home due to weather conditions. Be sure your cell phone is charged or setup other means of communication. You should also keep a winter emergency kit in each of your vehicles. Make sure you have good winter tires with enough tread. Try to keep the gas tank at least half full in case heavy snow causes severe traffic delays or you need to drive to an emergency shelter. Conduct regular maintenance on your vehicle.

Stay informed with weather condition at your location: https://weather.com/weather/radar/interactive/l/USTX0793:1:US

An employee stepped on a sheet of plywood that was covered with a small layer of snow and slipped from one end of the sheet to the other. Fortunately he did not fall. 

All open ditches and bell holes were surrounded with safety fence. All miscellaneous lumber, plywood, and plastic were picked up and/or removed from the work areas.

The contractor was joining pipe without a sufficient number of block skids to prevent movement of the pipe. The pipe shifted and rolled off the skids in a localized area. Fortunately there were no personnel present.

The job was shut down until appropriate blocks were put in place and the contractor was re minded again during the next safety meeting of the dangers of improperly securing pipe from movement.

The contractor was working on equipment and when I checked LOTO, I found that there was not a lock on the disconnect. Work was stopped.

The contractor placed LOTO and I had him verify that it was de-energized. We reviewed the JSA and did not find LOTO on the JSA. The JSA was updated and we discussed the work and proce dures for safe work and LOTO. Safety was notified to update the training. Work was continued.

A laborer was removing dirt around a 6" steel pipeline in a cross line excavation. An individual stepped at the edge of the excavation resulting in him falling on the pipe and sliding down. There were 2 employees next to him that managed to catch him as he was falling thus avoiding the fall to the bottom of the excavation. The excavation at this time was approximately 5' deep around the line.

The contractor wrote the near miss report and talked about it in the safety meeting, establishing that the employees need to be mindful of where they stand when hand digging in an excavation. From now on they will maintain a safe distance from the edge of any excavation.