Help Employees Prepare for Freezing Conditions

Encourage employees to bundle up this week: The National Weather Service says an Arctic high pressure system is causing temperatures to dip 20 degrees below normal across the United States.

These temperatures are no joke: It doesn’t take long for hypothermia or frostbite to occur, and the presence of snow and ice increases the likelihood for car accidents, and slip-and-fall incidents around the workplace.

Discourage employees from spending unnecessary time outdoors this week (smoke breaks, going out to lunch, parking far from the entrance). But, if employees must be outside in the weather, here are some tips from the American Red Cross on how to prepare employees for the freeze:

Encourage Layers: Even indoors, wearing layers when it’s freezing outside is a good idea. A CareerBuilder survey in December found 19% of workers surveyed thought their work environment was too cold. Add freezing temperatures outdoors, and that number is sure to increase. Also, be savvy to the symptoms of hypothermia (shivering, exhaustion, confusion, fumbling hands, memory loss, slurred speech, drowsiness) and frostbite (a white or grayish-yellow skin area, skin that feels unusually firm or waxy, swelling and numbness). If you notice one or both symptoms, immediately seek a warmer spot, warm the affected area with warm water in the case of frostbite, and make sure the body temperature is above 95 degrees to prevent hypothermia.

Beware of ice. Identify all walkways to and from the workplace, and keep them free from ice and snow using sand and salt products. On extreme weather days, encourage employees to leave 15 minutes earlier than usual to drive slower and take more time to and from the car. Also, encourage employees to adopt a “buddy system” when walking outdoors so any car troubles or accidents can be taken care of immediately.

Make safety simple. Provide containers  stocked with ice scrappers and brushes to remove ice and snow at each entrance. Also, try to keep floors dry and clean with extra mats to avoid any slipping inside the workplace.

Establish emergency contacts. If your company has a weather emergency number, tack up posters and pass out flyers so everyone knows where to call during extreme weather.

Practice fire safety. Check with your company policy regarding space heaters, and remind employees to keep flammable materials (jackets and furniture) away from heating sources. If the temperature is too cool in the workplace, check the furnace, and make sure it’s inspected annually.