While different people have different preferences when it comes to enjoying summer or winter more, it’s hard to argue that winter carries more risk to health much of the time. While on a personal level, this might just mean taking whatever precautions you feel are appropriate for your own circumstances, being in a position of responsibility in business can raise more questions.
Implementing and following certain health guidelines can help to keep your whole team happy and healthy, preventing winter from being a season that needs to be especially damaging or detrimental to your business.
Safety and Hazard Removal
The biggest and most obvious obstacles to work in winter might be results of the weather, such as flooding, icy roads, or heavy snow. Any of these can cause injury, but they can also all obstruct your ability to operate effectively.
While the sheer power of the weather in these cases can make it difficult to argue with, you might have more room to maneuver than you expect. For example, if your exterior spaces are especially susceptible to snow, it can help to utilize a snow plough or lay down rock salt, snow ultimately posing less of an issue when you prepare in such a way. It won’t always be possible to remove hazards outright – very icy conditions might make using scaffolding or other precarious modes of work unworkable – but applying a more proactive mindset can help you to find the right tool to enable you to continue regardless of the weather.
First Aid
The cold can also bring on all kinds of health issues that might require prompt first aid. This means that keeping your workplace stocked with first aid kits (that in themselves are properly supplied) as well as ensuring your whole staff is trained with basic first aid, can help to keep everyone safe. While this sounds like an ordeal, it might be that arranging training is easier than you expect, and it’s something that can help to further the professional development of everyone who receives it.
In winter, it might be that what people struggle with are especially related to the cold – such as experiencing hypothermia. However, it could also be that injuries arise due to slips or falls, in which case, first aid might focus on treating a particular wound.
Individual Needs
Part of creating a strong rapport or dynamic between yourself and your team involves identifying how to create an atmosphere that helps individuals work to the best of their ability.
If your work involves going outside and having your team members use their hands – as might be the case in something like construction – being aware of individual health concerns might help you to best optimize the tasks that you assign to each person. It’s not about knowing what health conditions someone might be experiencing so that you can take them off jobs they might not be able to complete, but more about working with them so that you can support them through a more understanding work environment.
Gianluigi Cuccureddu is co-founder of Damarque, helping you to improve your commercial performance through better engagement with your employees, customers and strategic business partners.
We offer high-impact training, coaching and consulting services for professionals, teams and organizations to help improve people ánd organizational performance and innovation capability in an efficient and sustainable way.
