Winter Safety: A Little Preparation Can Make a Difference
It seems obvious but Winter changes the way we work, walk and spend time outdoors.
The ground becomes slippery, daylight disappears earlier and familiar routes can suddenly become difficult to navigate. For countryside walkers, farmers, forestry workers and people working alone, these changes can create additional risks.
A muddy farm track, a frost covered footpath or a poorly lit yard might not seem particularly dangerous, but when someone slips, trips or falls, the consequences can be more serious than a bruised knee.
And what happens if that accident occurs somewhere remote, when the person is working alone and help isn’t immediately available?
Winter is a good time to think about the risks we often take for granted, how accidents can be prevented and what we would do if someone needed first aid.
Working Alone in Winter: What Happens If You Have an Accident?
For someone working alone, a fall can become a much more complicated situation.
A person working alone can easily fall awkwardly, injure their leg and cannot get back to their feet. There is no colleague nearby because they are working on their own. Their mobile phone is in a pocket but they can’t shift their weight onto the other leg to get to it, but if they could,  there is no signal.
Add to that that it is getting dark and the temperature is rapidly dropping. The problem is no longer just the injury. It is the combination of the injury, the location, the weather and the difficulty of getting help.
The HSE specifically highlights the importance of communication arrangements for people working alone. If someone is injured and cannot call for assistance themselves, there should be a reliable system for maintaining contact throughout the working day.
For employers and those responsible for lone workers, this means thinking beyond simply providing a mobile phone. If you are self-employed, you must ensure that you have put a similar system in place with friends or family:
- Identifying who is working alone and where.
- Assessing the risks associated with their work and location.
- Establishing regular check-in arrangements.
- Making sure someone knows when a worker is expected to finish.
- Having a clear procedure if a check-in is missed.
- Considering whether the task is suitable for lone working in the first place.
Winter makes these arrangements particularly important. A missed check-in could mean someone is delayed, but it could also mean they have had an accident and cannot call for help.
If someone is working alone, especially in winter, the question isn’t just whether they can contact someone. It’s what happens if they can’t.
Countryside Walkers: When a Familiar Route Becomes a Risk
If you are someone who walks familiar country routes throughout the changing seasons you will feel like you know the paths like the back of your hand. Just as each season shifts the weather it also brings different challenges and winter means muddy, slippery, wet leaves concealing roots and other trip hazards or possibly frozen ground.
With the evenings getting darker earlier, Â visibility starts to deteriorate. A few simple precautions for countryside walkers, can make a difference:
- Check the weather forecast and consider how conditions might change during the walk.
- Choose suitable footwear with good grip.
- Take extra care on slopes and uneven ground.
- Carry a charged mobile phone and consider whether you will have signal.
- Allow enough time to complete the route before darkness.
- Let someone know where you are going and when you expect to return.
It is also worth thinking about what you would do if someone in your walking group fell and could not continue.
Would you know how to assess the situation? Could you call for help? Would you have enough clothing to keep an injured person warm while waiting?
These are questions worth considering before setting off.
Winter on the Farm: Slippery Yards, Muddy Fields and Everyday Hazards
Farm work certainly doesn’t stop when the weather turns. Cows will likely be inside for the winter but sheep will still need feeding and /or checking in the fields. Â
Winter tends to make farm work more difficult as farmyards become slippery with mud, rainwater and frost. Walkways may become uneven or obstructed. Areas that are normally easy to access can become hazardous when conditions deteriorate.
The HSE advises farms to maintain safe access routes, address slippery surfaces, provide suitable lighting and take steps to prevent falls.
For farmers, some of the areas worth checking include:
- Farmyard entrances and regularly used walkways.
- Areas around livestock housing and feeding points.
- Steps, ramps and access routes to buildings.
- Muddy or uneven ground around machinery.
- Outdoor lighting around yards and buildings.
- Areas where ice is likely to form during freezing weather.
It is also important to consider visiting workers, contractors and delivery drivers. Someone who regularly works on the farm may know where the hazards are. A visiting driver or contractor might not.
A slippery yard or poorly lit access route can create a risk for anyone moving around the premises.
And while slips and trips are one concern, falls from height can have much more serious consequences.
Accessing roofs, lofts, machinery, trailers or elevated work areas during winter requires careful consideration of the conditions.
If work at height cannot be avoided, it needs to be properly planned, with suitable equipment, competent people and appropriate precautions.
A wet or icy surface is not something to ignore simply because the job needs doing.
Does your farm have safety procedures in place if you are working out in the fields alone?
Would you know what to do to help yourself?
Working at Height: Winter Is Not the Time to Take Chances
Falls from height can result in serious injuries. Jobs that seem simple but that require a ladder at home, on farms, in forestry and across other workplaces, you may need to access elevated areas for maintenance, inspections or other tasks. Working from any height has its hazards but these are increased when these activities are done in winter conditions
Rain, ice, wind, poor visibility and slippery surfaces can all affect the safety of working at height.
The HSE advises that work at height should be avoided where possible. Where it cannot be avoided, it must be properly planned and carried out using suitable equipment and precautions.
That includes considering the conditions in which the work will take place.
Before undertaking work at height, consider:
- Can the task be completed from the ground?
- Is the access equipment suitable?
- Is the working area safe?
- Are weather conditions appropriate?
- Are people competent to carry out the task?
- Is there a plan for dealing with an emergency?
A fall from height is not the same as a simple slip on a path. Someone falling from a ladder, roof, vehicle or elevated platform may have sustained serious injuries, even if they are conscious and able to speak.
This is where knowing how to respond matters.
More information about workplace safety around slips and trips from the HSE can be found here: https://www.hse.gov.uk/slips/Â
What Should You Do If Someone Slips, Trips or Falls?
If someone has fallen, the first priority is to make sure the scene is safe.Do not rush into an area where you could also become injured.
If the person has fallen from a height, has severe pain, appears seriously injured or has lost consciousness, call 999.
If you suspect a serious injury, avoid moving them unnecessarily unless they are in immediate danger.
Stay with them, reassure them and monitor their condition while waiting for help.
If they are cold or lying on wet ground, consider how you can protect them from further exposure without causing additional injury.
If they are unconscious but breathing normally, be prepared to provide appropriate first aid.
If they are not breathing normally, call 999 and begin CPR.
If someone has a minor injury and is able to move safely, they may still need to be assessed if they have significant pain, difficulty walking, swelling or other concerning symptoms.
A fall can sometimes cause injuries that are not immediately obvious, the important thing is not to assume someone is fine simply because they can talk or stand up.
Would you know what to do if you needed to perform CPR?
Slips, trips or falls may need someone to provide appropriate first aid while waiting for help. Knowing how to recognise a serious injury, call for assistance and respond appropriately can make a big difference.
First aid training can help people understand what to do, practise their skills and become more confident when responding to an emergency.
It is not about expecting everyone to become an emergency responder.
It is about being better prepared for the situations that can happen in everyday life.
