The Birmingham Press

Keeping Your Workplace Safe in all Seasons: Common Seasonal Business Hazards

Tips for ensuring your employees and customers stay safe.

Businesses face unique challenges and hazards in every season. From hot construction sites in summer to trip and slip risks during winter, seasonal hazards can cause significant damage to your business if they are not properly addressed. Every season brings a new set of risk, so every business owner or manager should understand these risks and prepare a plan to address these issues.
In this article, we’ll cover some of the most common seasonal safety hazards for businesses and how to keep your workplace safe in all seasons. Let’s take a look.

Electrical Accidents
More than 300 deaths and over 4000 injuries occur every year at workplaces in the US alone due to electrical hazards. Electrical fires and burns are the most common types of accidents that occur due to electrical hazards.

When your body is exposed to an electrical current, the chances of respiratory and heart failure increase exponentially. Electrical fire can occur when exposed wires come in contact with any flammable material.

As a business owner, it is your responsibility to take the necessary precautions and address any electrical issues or hazards immediately. Not only could an electrical accident cause your employees significant injuries, but it can also damage your company’s reputation.

Here are a few things you can do to control electrical hazards and prevent electrical accidents in your workplace:
● Avoid using faulty electrical tools.
● Regularly inspect your workplace for any broken cords or uninsulated wires.
● Make sure your workers always use personal protective equipment.
● Never ask your employees to fix the electrical outlets unless they are trained electricians – call in the professionals instead!
● Make sure workers are properly trained and follow safety practices to avoid risks associated with electrical hazards.

Trips and Slips
If it snows in your area in winter, the risks of slips and falls are much higher during the colder months. You might protect the interiors of your building, but what about your parking spaces, driveways, patios, terraces, and other outside areas? The accumulation of ice can cause damage to your building, but the greatest risk is unexpected trips and falls.

There is not much you can do to prevent snow from collecting in exterior areas, but there are some things you can do to keep your staff and visitors safe:
• Use ice melt or salt on steps and pathways.
• Install handrails if not already in place.
• Repair any damage to exterior steps.
● Place anti-slip floor mats.
● Hire a snow removal company if necessary.
● Install adequate lighting in all areas, including outside.

Slips and falls are also highly likely to occur in unhygienic places. Commercial cleaners like Phs.co.uk will help keep your workplace clean and spotless in all seasons.

Frozen Water Pipes
Another common winter problem for businesses is frozen water pipes. Residential spaces are less likely to have frozen pipes than commercial buildings, warehouses, storage facilities, and similarly large sites. The colder your area, the higher the risks of frozen pipes. These pipes are highly likely to burst if they accumulate a large volume of water in the solid state.

Frozen water pipes cause a lot of damage to the buildings occur every year. Not only does this damage your pipes and plumbing, but it can create quite a mess and affect your business’ operations. That’s why you should hire plumbers or an inspection team to regularly check your pipes for cracks, leaks, and other issues before they manifest into something more serious.

UV Exposure and Dehydration
Fatigue and dehydration can be common for construction workers and employees who work in the sun every day, particularly on hot summer days. It’s not easy for employees to execute their work when the temperature increases drastically, especially if their job requires them to work outside, and this can actually be a health and safety hazard.

Add to this the heavy protective wear and you’ll know how difficult it is for employees to work in summer. Sun exposure can lead to sunburn, skin reddening, and more serious health problems, such as heat stroke and, in the long term, skin cancer. Dehydration is another common health issue during summer. It’s important to establish hot weather policies that make sure employees are protected from the sun, stay hydrated, and are not exposed to extreme heat.

Building Damage
Extreme snow and rainfall can put your building at risk of property damage. During monsoon seasons or winter, it’s prudent to hire roofing contractors to check your roof for damage and potential issues. If your property has gutters, be sure to remove solid and wet debris regularly. The last thing you want is water or snow collecting on your roof because of the debris.

Final Thoughts
Workplace safety is critically important, yet it is often overlooked by many businesses. It’s easy not to pay attention to safety protocols until an accident occurs. Pay attention to seasonal hazards and be sure to deal with them before they become a problem.

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