Preparing for Fall: A Seasonal Guide to Maintaining Construction Safety in Autumn

As the leaves and temperatures drop, fall brings a unique set of construction safety concerns. The most prominent concerns involve:

• Slips, trips, and falls
• Lack of visibility
• Cold weather
• Tree maintenance
• Reduced daylight hours

It’s important to reevaluate your safety program to ensure it focuses on these concerns during the fall season to help reduce incidents.

Key Takeaways For Construction Safety In The Fall

• Adapting to weather changes is crucial to reducing construction safety incidents during the autumn season.
• Identifying and addressing seasonal concerns, such as falling leaves (and wet leaves), debris, and reduced daylight hours, helps you create a safety plan to keep workers safe while maximizing productivity.
• Investing in construction safety software helps you create materials, track performance, and optimize your approach to seasonal safety.

Here are a few things you can do to address these safety concerns:

1. Adapt to Weather Changes

Autumn weather can be unpredictable, with sudden rain showers, fog, and temperature fluctuations. These changes can create hazardous conditions on construction sites.

Rain and Wet Surfaces

Increased rainfall can lead to slippery surfaces and muddy conditions and an increase in slips, trips, and falls, which is already a leading cause of construction fatalities (38.4% of workplace deaths in 2022), according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

To mitigate risks, ensure that all walking and working surfaces are properly drained and kept dry. Use anti-slip coatings and maintain clear pathways to prevent slips and falls.

Regularly inspect and maintain the traction of footwear and encourage workers to wear appropriate anti-slip boots.

Additionally, railings must be installed, and workers must be ensured that they have the proper harness equipment when working above ground level.

Fog and Low Visibility

Foggy conditions can drastically reduce visibility on jobsites. To enhance visibility, use high-visibility clothing and install additional lighting where needed.

Ensure that all safety signage and warning signals are clearly visible and up to date based on current Job Hazard Analysis (JHAs).

Conducting thorough Job Hazard Analyses is essential for identifying fall-specific risks during the fall season. By following OSHA regulations for fall protection and winter weather safety, you can create a comprehensive safety plan.

Consider using construction safety software to streamline JHA processes, track incident reports, and manage employee training. This software can help ensure your team is equipped with the knowledge and tools to maintain a safe work environment throughout the fall months.

Temperature Fluctuations

While most cold weather temperature concerns occur in the winter months, it’s important to monitor for signs starting in the fall. In some areas of the country, cooler temperatures in the fall can lead to hypothermia and other cold-related illnesses.

Provide workers with suitable clothing and construction PPE to protect against cold temperatures. Implement regular breaks to allow workers to warm up and monitor them closely for signs of cold stress when applicable.

It’s also important to understand how certain materials react based on temperature fluctuations.

For example, concrete expands when it’s hot and contracts when it’s cold. Contractors may have to invest in or rent heating equipment as the concrete cures to maintain the intended strength.

2. Address Seasonal Hazards

Autumn introduces specific hazards that require attention to maintain a safe construction site.

Falling Leaves and Debris

Falling leaves can create slipping hazards, especially if they become wet. Regularly clear leaves and debris from pathways, ladders, and equipment areas.

Outline a routine in your JHA for inspecting and cleaning these areas to prevent accidents.

Tree Work and Maintenance

Autumn is a common time for tree trimming and maintenance, which can pose risks like falling branches and equipment accidents.

Establish clear zones around tree work areas and use barriers to keep unauthorized personnel at a safe distance.

Daylight Hours

Shorter daylight hours mean less natural light for outdoor work. Plan work schedules to maximize daylight when possible and consider using additional lighting to extend working hours safely when required.

Double-check that all temporary lighting setups are securely installed and tested to prevent electrical hazards.

3. Enhancing Site Safety with Fall-Specific Measures

In addition to addressing seasonal hazards, consider implementing the following fall-specific measures to enhance overall site safety.

Safety Inspections

Conduct thorough construction safety inspections at the start of each day to identify and address any new construction hazards.

Pay particular attention to areas that are affected by fall weather conditions, such as roof edges, scaffolding, and elevated surfaces.

4. Implementing Construction Safety Software

Investing in construction safety software can be a game-changer for managing safety. These tools help streamline safety protocols, make safety clearer to workers, and ensure compliance with OSHA regulations.

Real-Time Monitoring

Construction safety software can provide real-time updates on weather conditions and site hazards.

Use these features to adjust construction safety measures promptly and communicate updates to your team effectively.

Incident Reporting and Tracking

Construction safety software often includes features for incident reporting and tracking.

Use these tools to document any safety issues that arise, analyze trends, and implement corrective actions to prevent recurrence.

Training and Compliance

Many construction safety software platforms offer Toolbox Talks and compliance tracking to help you identify safety concerns and reduce incidents.

Oftentimes, you can also develop your own Toolbox Talks to address seasonal concerns.

Construction safety software provides you with resources to keep your team informed about fall-specific safety protocols and ensure they are up to date with the latest regulations and best practices to address safety concerns.

Prepare for Fall with SafetyHQ®

As fall settles in, it’s essential to adapt your construction safety procedures to address new hazards. One way to simplify this process is by investing in construction safety software like SafetyHQ.

With SafetyHQ, you can:

• Access pre-built Toolbox Talks or create your own to address seasonal safety hazards
• Simplify safety training
• Notify workers to complete job-specific training
• Establish standard operating procedures to reduce safety risks
• Evaluate safety performance and identify areas of improvement

It’s important to remember that safety, like the seasons, is always changing. With construction safety software, you can seamlessly adapt to these changes to build a strong construction safety program that endures year-round.

Chat with a specialist today to learn more about SafetyHQ and how it can improve your construction safety in the fall!