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In winter, snow and ice can cause additional slip hazards. You may have specific legal duties to guard against these, particularly if you are an employer.
Precautions may involve gritting, snow clearance and closure of some access routes – especially if these are on outside stairs, ladders or walkways on roofs.
Here are some tips to help protect staff, volunteers and the public when the weather gets cold:
Employers can find specific information about slips, trips and keeping pathways clear on the HSE website and gov.uk.
Water leaks and burst pipes
Water leaks and burst pipes can be extremely destructive, especially if they go unnoticed for long periods of time. We have further advice on how to detect water leaks, handle a burst pipe or prevent frozen pipes.
Use of portable heaters should be restricted as much as possible. Where necessary, we recommend electric convector or fan-assisted heaters, with thermostatic cut-outs, which turn off in the event of over-heating.
Electric radiant heaters and paraffin/oil fired heaters should never be used, even as a temporary measure. They work by emitting heat from an element or flame and pose a significant fire risk.
Temporary heater safety tips:
Unoccupied premises
Vacant properties are more exposed to risk whether they are empty for a long time, or just over the holidays. When there is no one to keep an eye on buildings, the risk of theft and vandalism can increase. Equally, if a pipe does burst it may go unnoticed for a longer period of time and therefore cause more damage.
Click here for our guide on the management of unoccupied premises which helps identify some of the biggest risks to vacant properties.
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Display screen equipment
Typically, display screen equipment (DSE) is any computer, laptop, touch screen or similar device.
Duty of candour
All providers of health and social care services who are registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) are required to comply with a statutory duty of candour.
