Before the next major storm comes and starts to impact your area, being both prepared and aware can go a long way to minimizing these risks and negative impacts. We’ve created a list of common winter construction hazards and some winter safety tips to keep you and your workers safe this season.

Keep an eye on the weather

As temperatures drop and storms roll in, keep a watchful eye on your workers for signs of hypothermia and frostbite, and make sure they are dressed for the weather. Give your workers enough time to secure the construction site and get home before severe weather strikes.

Inspect and clear job sites

Winter storms can cause a surprising amount of damage, especially when snow and ice are allowed to accumulate. You need to inspect your construction sites for downed powerlines, trees, or any other debris, while also clearing snow ice from walking and working surfaces like walkways, scaffolding, ladders, and roofs, and icicles from overhead. Salt or sand can melt icy patches, and improve traction for workers. If the patch can’t be removed, ensure it is marked appropriately to avoid injuries.

Warm up equipment and tools

Make sure you and your workers are following the manufacturer’s instructions on properly warming up heavy equipment before use. Fluids like engine and hydraulic oils in equipment must be rated for the temperatures in your area and may need to be replaced if necessary. You may also need to take further precautions with pieces of equipment that use air compressors and pneumatic tools by draining fluid air compressor tanks after each use to prevent accumulation of moisture from freezing and put antifreeze tool oil in your pneumatic tools to protect from the cold.

Provide appropriate PPE and layer up

Take extra steps to ensure workers are wearing all their personal protective equipment (PPE) during winter conditions. Hard hats should always be worn to protect from falling hazards like icicles and can be lined inside to prevent heat from escaping. Gloves and mittens with manual dexterity should be worn when working with tools and materials as frostbite can occur immediately if workers touch extremely cold metal with their bare hands. Keeping warm is one of the most important things when working in the winter, so layer up clothing with a thick waterproof layer over an inner layer of moisture-wicking thermals and avoid leaving skin exposed as much as possible. Designate an area on the job site with heating for workers to warm up after working and limit their exposure to the cold.

Simply being prepared and aware of the inherent dangers that the winter brings can go a long way toward preventing injuries, incidents, risks, and negative impacts on your workers and your construction site. We hope these tips give you the help you need to stay safe and productive this winter.

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However, managers must address potholes and other issues with a temporary solution before these pose bigger challenges to work through during the frigid temperatures of the winter season. Here are some items to watch out for when conducting a building inspection before the winter season.

Sunken areas

Sunken areas in your parking lot or near entrances/exits can pool over time with water. These areas then freeze and can cause slips and falls or traffic incidents, posing a hazard and liability issues. As a temporary solution, these areas can be skimmed or filled until thorough repairs can be completed at a later date. These can be done along with filling any potholes to buy some time.

Catch basins

One sign to watch out for is if the asphalt appears to be below the level of the steel frame edge. When this happens, snow plows can get caught in the edge and break the steel, requiring a replacement of the catch basin itself. Another sign to look out for is if there is a significant dip or hole beside or near the catch basin; this indicates a form of collapse of the structure. These two signs, in addition to major cracks and breakage of the asphalt, can save you from a great deal of headaches and costly repairs down the road.

It is crucial to complete a building inspection before the winter season to spot these signs early and adequately address them. The photos below are a perfect example of repairs that Fort York Paving has provided within a client’s limited budget. With plans for a very costly replacement of the entire storefront sidewalk next year, the client needed a temporary solution to address pedestrian trip hazards.

Our team replaced the broken and heaved concrete section with asphalt as a temporary solution, which solved the fundamental issue of providing safety for pedestrians until the permanent solution is implemented.

Early awareness of these issues and a thorough building inspection before the winter season will save you from liability, hazards, and high-cost repairs in the future. Our professional paving company is able to assess your property and implement the right solution at the right time. Get in touch with us at info@fortyorkpaving.com for a property assessment today.

The post Building inspection before the winter season first appeared on Fort York Paving.