Cold-Weather Jobsite Safety: A Practical Checklist for Contractors

In the late fall and early winter, a jobsite can feel like three seasons in one day: frost on the rebar at 7 a.m., T-shirt weather by lunch, and dusk rolling in before cleanup is done. As winter sets in, the stakes get higher. A slip on ice or a case of frostbite injures a worker first, and then takes a toll on the business with downtime, higher insurance costs and a schedule that slips. The good news is that most cold-weather incidents can be prevented with a little planning. For a refresh, here’s a practical checklist, drawn from construction safety pros and OSHA, to help you keep your crews safe and moving through the colder months.

Get the Jobsite Ready Before the Weather Turns

In a recent ForConstructionPros piece, Allyson Sherrier points out that fall “doesn’t have to slow a project down” if you plan for it. Her advice comes down to a few key habits to incorporate into routine practices with your team:

• Dress for swings. Chilly mornings and warm afternoons call for layers, with cold-weather gear on hand.
• Stay ahead of mud. Rain turns walkways and access roads slick, so inspect the site often and fix hazards as they show up.
• Work with the daylight you have. Adjust schedules, and light up work areas, access routes and equipment staging zones.
• Check equipment before work. Look at tires or tracks, lights and visibility features, following the manufacturer’s recommendations.

Once snow and ice arrive, Kendall Jones of ConstructConnect adds a few more steps to incorporate into the work culture and routines: 

• Walk the site for downed power lines and trees before anyone starts work.
• Clear snow and ice from walking and working surfaces, and spread salt or sand for traction.
• Clearly mark icy spots you can’t clear, and remind crews to “slow down and take shorter steps.”
• When a storm is coming, give crews enough time to secure the site and get home safely.

Check Your Crew’s Cold-Weather Gear

Winter gear wears out, gets lost and becomes outdated.  ConstructConnect’s cold-weather tips offer a solid starting list for ensuring every worker is ready for weather events every day:

• Layers that work: a moisture-wicking base, an insulating middle and a waterproof outer shell. Keep spare dry clothes on site, since wet clothing pulls heat from the body fast.
• Hard hat liners to hold in heat without giving up protection.
• Gloves on, always, especially on ladders, scaffolding and equipment. Bare skin on frozen metal can get frostbite almost instantly.
• Waterproof, slip-resistant boots with extra socks. Steel toes conduct cold.
• Anti-fog treatment for safety glasses, goggles and face shields.
• Refitted fall protection. Adjust harnesses to fit over bulky clothing, and inspect them before each use.
• Emergency kits in work vehicles, plus backup power for phones.

Good to Know: Spot Cold Stress Early

The safety team at design-builder Gray reminds crews that recognizing cold stress quickly is key to preventing cold-related injuries. Cold stress lowers skin temperature first, then the body’s core temperature. Sweat or damp clothes, the wrong clothing, exhaustion and poor physical conditioning all raise the risk.

Train crews to watch each other for signs of:

• Hypothermia: shivering, then confusion and slurred speech. If shivering stops, it’s an emergency.
• Frostbite: numbness, and red skin that turns gray or white and feels hard.
• Trench foot: red, swollen, numb feet, sometimes with blisters, from cold, wet conditions.

Give crews a heated trailer or tent, frequent warm-up breaks and warm drinks. For serious symptoms, make sure no one is hesitant about calling 911. OSHA’s Winter Weather page offers more detail on prevention and first aid.

Keeping the Work Moving: Bid, Payment and Performance Bonds

A safe winter is a productive winter. Projects that finish on time and without incident build the kind of track record project owners and surety underwriters like to see.

When you’re ready to bid on more work, Colonial Surety Company can help. We’re a national, direct, Treasury-listed surety bond writer that has been in business since 1930, helping construction companies of all sizes grow their bidding capacity.

• New to bonding? Our Hometown Bonding Program gives local contractors credit-based bonds up to $500,000 in aggregate. It’s designed to help you grow into The Partnership Account® for Contractors.
• Ready to grow? The Partnership Account® for Contractors offers a written surety line of credit of up to $20 million single and $40 million aggregate. You can issue your own bid bonds instantly with our power of attorney, order performance bonds online, and see your underwriting profile and financials in real time on your private dashboard.

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Colonial Surety Company is a leading direct seller and writer of surety bonds and insurance products across the USA. Colonial Surety Company is rated “A” (Excellent) by AM Best and is U.S. Treasury listed.