UCATT warns on site safety in cold weather

With the cold weather still looming about, construction union UCATT are warning construction employers that extra checks need to be made on sites, to ensure that work can be conducted safely, during the current extremely cold weather.

Employers need to undertake additional risk assessments during extreme weather in order to ensure that sites are safe before work progresses. Employers also need to ensure that:

- Appropriate protective equipment is used
- Mobile facilities for warming up and warm fluids such as hot chocolate or soup are provided
- They introduce more frequent rest breaks
- Workers are educated on recognising the early symptoms of cold stress/ early signs of hypothermia. These include shivering, loss of co-ordination, slurred speech, memory loss and pale cold skin.


Alan Ritchie, General Secretary of UCATT, said: "cold weather brings additional dangers to the construction industry. It is essential that employers ensure sites are safe and proper facilities are provided during cold weather working. If employers do not believe that their site is safe they should stop work immediately until problems are resolved".

Winter safety checks for drivers

As winter draws ever nearer drivers are already starting to wake up to frost filled mornings and ice covered cars. The following acts as winter checklist for drivers wishing to stay safe and avoid a frosty morning drive.


It is always best to prepare your vehicle for winter as early as possible. As winter approaches give your car a pre-winter once over. Many garages will give your car a winter safety check for free. However if you can’t manage to make it to a garage here are a few tips to help you keep your car safe this winter.

• Firstly make sure that you allow yourself plenty of time in the morning to make sure that your car is defrosted properly so that it is therefore safe for you to drive away.
  


• Check your levels of anti freeze, replace any damaged wiper blades, stock-up on de-icer and buy a window scraper and some clothes: one to clear condensation from the inside windows and one to clean lights and exterior windows.
  


• Window wipers are usually forgotten about and they can be easily damaged in the frost. Turning on your wipers whilst they are frozen is one way to damage them as they may be frozen and turning them on may cause the motor to break or the wiper blade it’s self to snap or buckle. To avoid accidentally damaging them this way make sure you turn them off when leaving your vehicle parked over night. This will stop the wipers from coming on when you start the engine the next morning.
  


• If your windows are frosted over, start by starting your engine and leaving your car to run for a few minutes in order for it to heat up a little. If your windows are still frosty use some de-icer or a scraper. Never pour hot water over your windscreen as this can cause your windscreen to crack especially if your windscreen already has a small chip in it and this can then lead to further problems such as a cracked windscreen.
  


• Do not ignore your lights. Make sure the plastic light covers are also free of ice and frost and that your bulbs are in full working order.
  


• Make sure that your tires have plenty of tread and are the correct pressure. The minimum legal tread limit is 1.6mm but most manufacturers recommend 3mm.
  


• Also check your oil levels regularly. The oil mark should be between the two marks on the dipstick, but preferably nearer the minimum mark.
  


• In adverse weather conditions make sure to keep your distance from the car in front as the adverse weather conditions may affect your stopping distance.