Construction
Construction is notoriously dangerous enough as it is, and winter creates extra challenges in an already risky job. For starters, slips, trips, and falls become more common as icy surfaces make construction sites more hazardous. Snow and fog reduce visibility, making it harder for people to spot dangers such as uneven surfaces or exposed equipment. Cold temperatures can also affect tools and machinery, while frostbite and hypothermia are real threats without the right clothing. What’s more, the cold can also create even more indirect risks by causing fatigue and reduced dexterity, increasing the chances of accidents.
To help ensure safety on site, it’s a good plan to provide thermal workwear, including insulated jackets, waterproof trousers, and thermal base layers to maintain warmth. Anti-slip footwear is also essential for avoiding accidents on icy scaffolding or surfaces. You’ll need plenty of high-visibility workwear on hand to ensure that your team is seen in conditions where snow or fog might reduce visibility. Finally, insulated gloves with good grip will help them manage tools safely even in freezing temperatures.
Transportation and logistics
If you work in the transportation and logistics industry, you’ll already be familiar with how winter can turn the job into a dangerous challenge. Icy roads, freezing rain, and snow make driving hazardous, which puts delivery drivers, HGV operators, and warehouse personnel at higher risk of accidents. Poor visibility from snowfall or fog only increases the danger. Even for those working indoors, handling goods in cold outdoor environments can reduce dexterity, which can lead to injuries or accidents when loading or unloading.
To keep your drivers and logistics personnel safe, it’s essential to equip them with warm, windproof, and water-resistant clothing, such as insulated jackets and thermal trousers. For anyone working outside, insulated gloves are critical to prevent frostbite while allowing safe gripping of steering wheels or equipment. Again, high-visibility and reflective clothing is crucial to ensure that everyone is easily seen in low-light conditions, particularly on roads. And of course, you’ll need to make sure that everyone’s wearing footwear with good traction to prevent slips on icy surfaces, whether on the road or inside a cold warehouse.
Utilities and energy
If your staff work in utilities or energy, they’ll face some of the toughest winter conditions. Maintenance and repairs on power lines or pipelines often take place in freezing, wet weather, creating dangerous working conditions. Anyone working at height on ladders or scaffolding has to contend with icy surfaces and high winds, both of which increase the risk of falls. Add to this the difficulty of working in remote areas (as many staff do), and the dangers become even more severe if help is needed quickly.
To protect your team, it’s important to provide them with waterproof and insulated clothing that shields them from both cold and wet conditions. Layering with thermal gear is also key to keeping them warm during long hours spent outside. One particularly important point is to ensure that your employees are using protective headgear for both warmth and safety, especially if they’re working under conditions where ice or debris might fall from above. When working at height, fall protection gear like harnesses and non-slip boots are absolutely critical to prevent accidents in slippery conditions.
Agriculture
Agriculture is one of the UK’s single most deadly industries, which is often surprising to people who don’t work in the sector. If your personnel are farming or tending to livestock, they’ll often be exposed to freezing temperatures, which can lead to frostbite or hypothermia. Icy fields and paths create dangers for anyone walking or operating machinery, and heavy snowfall can hide hazards like ditches or equipment, increasing the chance of accidents. Just as with certain other industries, cold temperatures can also cause equipment to malfunction, presenting further risks when operating tractors or other heavy machinery.
To keep your agricultural staff safe, you’ll want to invest in well-insulated, waterproof workwear. Heavy-duty jackets and trousers will help keep them warm and dry. Don’t forget to ensure that your employees are wearing proper footwear – insulated, waterproof boots offer the most reliable protection from icy, wet ground. Thermal gloves are also essential to protect their hands from cold exposure while maintaining control of equipment. Layering clothing allows your team to stay warm without sacrificing mobility, helping them perform their tasks safely even in harsh winter conditions.
Those are all the essentials covered – of course when it comes right down to it, you’ll know what’s best for your team! And if you need any workwear to ensure they’re properly equipped, you’re in exactly the right place. In addition to useful winter workwear, we supply everything from T-shirts and polo shirts to sweatshirts and footwear. What’s more, all of our customisations are done in-house using our experienced team of designers and print machinists, so you can liaise directly with us to get exactly what you’re looking for. We also provide a FREE workwear printing and embroidery service and FREE delivery for orders over £150!
Feel free to take a look around our website to see what you can find, or alternatively give our team a call on 0330 004 0440, and we’ll be happy to help however we can!
