Longer days and sunshine make it feel like the perfect time to crack into work. But while summer brings good vibes, it also brings its own set of risks. No matter the season, hazards don’t take a break and the hot weather can put extra pressure on your team.
So, what steps are you taking to keep everyone safe from the heat and the harsh summer sun?
We all know the basics: Slip, Slop, Slap, and Wrap to reduce the risk of sunburn, skin damage and skin cancer. But heat can be just as dangerous. Heat exhaustion, dehydration, and fatigue can creep up quickly if you are not prepared.
Heat exhaustion happens when the body overheats from losing too much water and salt through sweat. If you don’t act fast, it can develop into heat stroke.
Heat stroke occurs when the body’s temperature hits 39.4°C or higher and the body can no longer cool itself down. This is serious and needs urgent medical attention.
Early signs include heat rash and heat cramps, spotting them early can help prevent things from getting worse.
Check out this helpful resource for symptoms and treatment options for heat-related illnesses.
If you’ve got underlying health conditions that might be affected by extreme heat, make sure someone at work knows.
The sun is strongest between 10am and 4pm. Take regular breaks, work in the shade where possible, and consider shifting physically demanding tasks to cooler parts of the day.
Drink plenty of water, even if you’re not feeling thirsty. Sweating means you’re losing fluids fast.
Slip on a shirt, Slop on sunscreen, Slap on a hat, and Wrap on sunglasses. Even on cloudy days, UV rays can still burn your skin. Here’s another great resource on protecting yourself outdoors.
Feeling light headed, tired, or short of breath? Take a break. Heat stress builds quickly and can affect how well you think and move and that’s when incidents happen.
Make heat and UV exposure a regular Toolbox topic. This is a simple and effective way to keep your team aware of this often-overlooked hazard. And remember, you can record all your Toolbox meetings easily in the HazardCo App.
If you’ve got questions or want to chat about the risks on your site, our Advisory Team is here to help.
Give us a call on 0800 555 339
The holidays are done and dusted, and it’s time to ease back into work. Reopening your site is just as important as shutting it down properly and the New Year is the perfect chance to reset, refocus, and set the tone for the year ahead.
After a couple of weeks off, it’s normal for the team to have a bit of Mondayitis. So on day one, take it slow and run through a few key steps to get everyone back on track safely.
Before anyone gets stuck in, hold a Toolbox meeting:
Go over your SSSP (Site-Specific Safety Plan), walk through emergency procedures, and make sure everyone is fit for work both physically and mentally after the break.
A lot can change while you’re off-site.
Walk the site and note any new hazards or risks, check fences, gates, and signage are secure and make sure access ways are clear and exclusion zones intact.
Inspect structures, scaffolding, and excavations: Weather and time can take a toll. Check scaffolds, excavations, temporary structures, and anything else that could have shifted, been damaged, or affected by the weather.
Check tools, equipment, and mobile plant: Before the team starts using anything, run inspections and pre-starts.
Make sure tools, gear, and mobile plant are in good working order.
Ease back into it, safety first: Think about a soft start. Give everyone time to check their work areas, ease into the pace, and remember that safety is the priority.
Also keep in mind: after a couple of weeks relaxing in air-con, people may not be ready for full heat exposure straight away.
Hot weather brings extra risks, so put simple steps in place to keep your team safe and comfortable.
Provide shade and shelter: Set up shade tents or covered areas. For indoor work, open windows or use fans to keep air moving.
Keep everyone hydrated and protected: Make sure workers always have access to drinking water, and encourage sunscreen, lightweight clothing, sunglasses, and sun-protective hats.
Watch for signs of heat-related illness: Everyone reacts differently to heat. Keep an eye out for symptoms like:
If someone shows symptoms, provide first aid and seek medical help if needed.
If temperatures get extreme, it might be safer to pause work until conditions improve.
Where possible, shift heavy physical tasks to machinery to reduce strain.
Safety is a team effort. Remind everyone to check in on their mates and report any heat stress symptoms early. Quick action can stop things from getting worse.
Keep your team’s health, safety, and well-being front of mind as you head into the New Year.
Here are some handy resources to help:
If you need support or have questions, our Advisory Team is here to help on 0800 555 339.
If you have any questions you can contact our Advisory Team on 0800 555 339.
Below you will find guidance on what to do in the event of an attack or site emergency involving an assault or an armed offender, including some practical advice on minimising the chances of an attack on-site.
Check:
Speak Up:
Ensure:
It’s important to be aware of Critical Incident Stress (CIS)
A “critical incident” is an event that can be so emotionally intense that it can be hard to handle using our usual ways of coping. These could include situations like a sudden death, serious injury, or a physical or psychological threat to the safety or well-being of an individual, workplace or community regardless of the type of incident.
Typical symptoms of Critical Incident Stress include:
There are some techniques and professional assistance you can reach out for:
Informal debrief with peers post-event:
This can be done with supervisors, senior team members, or just work colleagues. Try and assess those team members who may need further support. Keep assistance within your training, and reassure colleagues that support is there for them with the provision of support numbers or how to access EAP services if available.
Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
EAP Services provides brief, solution focused support, to help workers deal with any difficulties they may be experiencing and to minimise the impact on their life. Counselling is available via video, over the phone or face to face. It’s important for employers to ensure that they have EAP services organised for their employees before an incident occurs.
Seek professional assistance to help you run a Crisis Management Briefing (CMB)
A Crisis Management Briefing (CMB) is one of the most highly utilised and versatile crisis intervention techniques. A CMB is a structured group meeting designed to provide information about the event.
Critical Incident Peer Support Groups use CMB’s as a way to share education about typical stress reactions and to provide information about basic stress management and coping techniques and resources.
Seek professional assistance and run a Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD)
Following trauma exposure, an individual can experience multiple emotional, mental, and physical symptoms that impact their well-being. CISD is a practice that allows survivors to process and reflect on the traumatic events they’ve experienced and gain personal control over the incident.
Helplines that could be useful:
Winter weather has the potential to hit hard, with strong winds, low temperatures, and of course, lots of rain. All of these factors can cause hazards for you and your workers. From trips and slips, to numb fingers and damaged gear and equipment, cold temperatures call for specific measures to ensure that your workplace is safe during the cold and wet winter months.
Work doesn’t stop when winter weather rolls in, so it’s important to know what to do to keep your workers safe and warm.
When the winter weather starts rolling through it’s important for you to inspect your workplace. If you are somewhere that experiences snow, make sure that you identify and clear, where possible, all snow and ice from working surfaces, platforms and walkways that are used. It’s crucial to stress the importance of fall protection when icy conditions are present. To ensure your site is safe, complete a Site Assessment using your HazardCo App, or you can download a .pdf version from the templates section of your HazardCo Hub, or by clicking here.
Vehicle accidents don’t just happen on the roads, they can also happen in the work yard. Stress to your team that winter driving rules for the road also apply to your workplace and it’s important that they take care while operating work vehicles and equipment. To ensure your vehicles are safe for the road complete a Vehicle checklist using your HazardCo App, or you can download a PDF version from the templates section of your HazardCo Hub, or by clicking here.
The last thing you need is for the weather to catch you by surprise. Keep an eye on the weather forecast, so your workers can prioritise the work that will be affected should the weather take a turn for the worse, and that they have the right gear to be able to do the job safely.
Be vigilant when ensuring that workers are wearing proper PPE and suitable clothing when winter weather conditions are present.
Follow these tips to optimise your crew’s safety so you can enjoy a productive winter while keeping your team safe. If you have any questions reach out to the HazardCo Team
