Essential fall safety tips for protecting workers, from flu prevention and air quality checks to appropriate clothing and outdoor lighting considerations. Stay safe this autumn!
With regard to workplace health and safety, no two workplaces are the exact same. That being said, even within a workplace or an industry, the same safety rules and procedures don’t always apply all the time. For example, when the Autumn months arrive, companies in a variety of industries have to make changes to safety protocols to meet changing safety needs.
Change doesn’t always come easy to workplace safety because employees often get set in their ways and find comfort in routine. Nevertheless, employers need to do whatever is necessary to protect workers during all times of the year, which is why we wanted to share some important safety tips for keeping employees safe specifically during the fall season.
The first piece of advice for fall safety is simply talking to employees about potential changes in the approach to safety. You don’t want to catch them off guard by changing the focus of workplace safety or introducing new protocols. It’s important that they understand why certain safety measures are changing and why there are new challenges in this area. This will make everything else go down a little easier once employees start doing things in the name of safety that they aren’t accustomed to doing during other parts of the year.
No matter the industry or the work environment, it’s still flu season once the weather starts to get cold. The last thing any business wants is for employees to miss time because they’re sick with the flu. That can lead to loss of productivity, especially if the disease is allowed to spread in the workplace and half the staff ends up getting sick. It’s a good idea for managers and supervisors to talk to employees about getting the flu vaccine. Larger companies may even want to arrange free on-site vaccinations one day to encourage employees to get the flu vaccine.
As mentioned, the last thing a company wants is for the flu to be spread within its walls. This requires speaking with employees and instituting protocols that can prevent that. This can be as simple as providing hand sanitizer for employees in convenient locations throughout the workplace. Likewise, make sure employees know that they shouldn’t come to work if they feel sick. It’s better to have one employee out than to have that person get others sick, leaving to several employees missing work.
Given the concerns about the flu and other illnesses, the fall is a good time for companies to check their air quality. If there is poor air quality or ventilation, it becomes much easier for employees to get sick and spread germs to their co-workers. Conducting a routine air quality assessment is a great idea during the fall months.
Inspecting the HVAC system is also a good idea to ensure the vents and ducts are clean and the system is working properly. Safety leaders should also canvass the staff, asking if anybody is suffering from congestion, headaches, or even nose bleeds that get worse while they’re at work. This can be a sign of poor air quality, which is only going to get worse and lead to health problems during the fall.
This might sound basic, but it doesn’t hurt to talk to employees about dressing appropriately when the weather gets cold in the fall. Encourage them to wear extra layers or bring spare clothes with them to work in case they start to feel cold. This aspect of workplace health and safety is even more important for employees who work outdoors. They need to make sure they are dressed for the weather conditions. At the same time, employees who work around large machines need to dress warmly without having loose layers that can get stuck in equipment and create a safety hazard.
Companies that have outdoor workers also need to pay close attention to the days getting shorter in the fall. The sun doesn’t rise quite as early in the fall. It also sets a lot sooner, reducing the number of daylight hours for outdoor employees to do their jobs. The angle of the sun is also lower, which can make it tricky for employees to do their job. They may not see things as clearly and can sometimes strain their eyes in low light, causing headaches and other discomfort.
It’s important to talk to employees about these new challenges and how they can affect their safety. If possible, consider bringing in artificial light to help employees who have to work outside. Long before the sun sets, portable light stands can prove useful. Outdoor lighting should also be a concern for traditional office settings where employees are inside most of the day. Businesses should check that outdoor walkways and parking lots are appropriately lit because most employees will either be coming to work or leaving work without a lot of sunlight during the fall months.
Speaking of walkways, they require extra attention during the fall months. Obviously, walkways need to be kept clear all the time to reduce the threat of slips and trips. However, the presence of leaves can make walkways slippery, increasing the chances of someone falling.
This is typically an issue outside, although leaves can easily find their way inside and impact indoor walkways. If it rains or even snows during the fall months, indoor walkways, especially around the entrances and exits of a building, can become fall hazards. During the fall months, businesses need to pay extra attention to these areas and warn employees about the increased risk of slips and falls.
Naturally, outside ground conditions are even more troublesome than indoor walkways in the fall. In addition to the presence of leaves that can hide or obscure the ground people are walking on, muddy terrain is a distinct possibility during the fall months. The ground that may have been hard and stable throughout the summer is now becoming soft and wet, making slips and falls more common.
This is potentially a serious safety hazard for employees who work outdoors and use heavy machinery. For areas that don’t have good drainage or receive a lot of rain or leaf cover, consider using gravel or a similar substance to help give outdoor workers better traction and reduce the chances of anyone falling.
Fall weather is often unpredictable and not always friendly. Just look at the hurricanes that are running rampant in a variety of places. Even if there isn’t the threat of a hurricane, storms that bring a lot of rain and wind are possible during the fall months. To prepare for extreme weather events that don’t always offer a lot of warning, companies with outdoor equipment need to make sure those items are either moved inside or tied down in some way when they’re not being used.
In some cases, it makes sense to cover equipment with tarps to protect them. Even if some machines aren’t at risk of being blown away by heavy winds, you don’t want to risk leaves and other debris infiltrating the equipment and leading to a problem, even if the issue is simply the wasted time cleaning the equipment.
Of course, safe driving for on-site vehicles and company-owned vehicles driven off-site should be a priority all year. However, when fall arrives, it’s a good idea to remind drivers of the new challenges that await them on the roads. For off-site driving, there is a bigger risk of the weather causing poor driving conditions that force drivers to be more alert and drive safely.
There is also an increased risk of hitting deer and other wildlife in the fall, creating another possible hazard for drivers. Employers should encourage drivers to be extra cautious during the fall, especially if they’re driving once the sun goes down. Finally, the fall months are a good time to perform annual inspections on vehicles to make sure they are running smoothly before the weather makes driving even more challenging in the winter.
Luckily, more companies are starting to recognize the importance of paying attention to the mental health of employees. This becomes even more important during the fall months for a variety of reasons. Some people start to be affected by the reduced amount of daylight. Those with kids have the added stress of school starting and the holiday season on the horizon.
This is a recipe for extra anxiety among employees. Therefore, the fall is a great time to check in with employees regarding their mental health, reminding them of the signs of stress and anxiety, as well as the resources available to them so that they can take care of their psychological well being.
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