How to Look After Your Construction Staff in Winter

With winter now firmly upon us, life on a construction site can be even more challenging. Wet conditions, high, and biting, winds and freezing temperatures can all unfortunately increase the possibility of an accident occurring. Serious injury on a construction site in winter is just one of the issues that construction workers can face either. As a result of the cold weather they are also exposed to health conditions that include frostbite and hypothermia, which could lead to long term health problems, and very unhappy workers to boot..

It is the responsibility of the contractors and the Foreman on a construction site to ensure that the conditions in which their construction workers are toiling are as safe as possible at all times, and this is especially important in the winter. When it comes to safety in the winter on a construction site investment is required if you want to ensure the health and safety of all of your employees.

Having the right welfare amenities during the winter month is just one of the ways in which you can do this. Companies like SRP Hire Solutions offer a range of different welfare amenity options with something to suit every requirement and every size of construction site. Below, we explain the uses of these welfare hubs in protecting your workers in the winter months.

Welfare units

Everyone will have seen a welfare unit, or similar, on a construction site in passing. These are a vital amenity for any construction site to provide for the safety and well-being of their staff. During the winter months conditions can become rather unpleasant with rain a more frequent issue, higher winds and of course the cold all making it harder for construction to take place. Construction in some form will continue during these conditions and only really stops when the weather conditions become too extreme. Construction sites work to tight budgets and time schedules and stopping work can cost significant amounts and push deadlines to the wire.

Hygiene

A welfare unit will offer toilet and hot water facilities to help with basic hygiene requirements – these are proper toilet facilities and not the same as a portaloo. They can also come ready fitted with some form of kitchen or canteen facilities which make it possible for workers to take regular breaks in order to warm up with a hot drink or some food out of the cold. They also provide drying room facilities making it possible to dry off, and warm up, cold and damp clothing. All of these things can really make a difference when people are carrying out a job that is physically demanding.

Comfort and safety

When your workers are able to get warm during the day and have access to the right facilities, they will be able to pay more attention to the job that they are doing. When you are cold, wet, or both it can be harder to focus, this can mean if you are driving heavy machinery or using tools that there is a higher risk of an accident occurring. Injuries sustained on a construction site can be severe and, in some cases, even life changing. The construction company and their agents have a duty of care to all of their construction workers to provide good working conditions that can decrease the possibility of this happening.

Welfare units are just one of the many ways in which construction managers can ensure that they are looking after their construction staff during the winter months. However, they are one of the most important options, and can make a significant difference to the levels of safety on their construction site.