Some important health and safety lessons we can learn from the winter months

zenlaw-blog-2Here at Zen Law Solicitors, we work to ensure that our clients feel as satisfied and secure as possible. During the winter months a typical rise is seen in instances where people have been injured through no fault of their own – especially on the roads and at work – due to wintry conditions. The winter weather can bring additional hazards, which if not responsibly maintained, can lead to accident and injury. In the workplace for example, employers have an obligation to uphold health and safety standards, and should be doing so appropriate to changing weather conditions too. Therefore, it is important to recognise that this is a time of year where extra consideration needs to be taken:

Some things to think about

  1. Give yourself extra time – whether you are responsible just for your own car or a whole workplace, what matters is that you give yourself plenty of time to tackle the tasks that winter weather can face you with. For example, an extra ten minutes in the morning to de-frost the car is a good idea and also getting into work earlier to ensure that surrounding surfaces are gritted appropriately
  2. Minimise slip risk – it’s not only frost and ice which can cause slips, but the higher levels of moisture around in general!  You may notice that workplace reception areas and hallways seem to be collecting water from people’s shoes – make sure this is dealt with, or even better, install a strip of carpeting in susceptible areas!  It’s an important way of minimising slipping. 
  3. Remember electrical – because of the lower temperatures, workplaces especially tend to have a lot of heating turned on – including storage heaters. These look simple but it is important to ensure that staff feel safe and know how to use them! Ensure they are turned off at the end of the day too. 

Our continued support 

If you have been affected or injured through no fault of your own however, it is essential that this is addressed. We are here to provide you with legal support here at Zen Law Solicitors. 

November 23, 2015

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