Severe weather can wreak havoc on a job site, creating an immediate threat to both workers and equipment. No matter the season, you should be ready with a safety plan for when damaging weather blows through.
Having a jobsite safety plan ensures the well-being of your employees and minimizes damage to equipment. Here are a few common severe weather conditions & hazards and the best practices for keeping job sites and workers safe.
Wind: High winds can topple scaffolding, cranes, and loose materials and create dangerous projectiles. Be ready to secure equipment and materials when winds are forecasted.
Hurricanes: Hurricanes are a threat to parts of Georgia, brining high winds, heavy rainfall, and flooding, which can devastate an unprepared jobsite. In coastal areas, early planning and evacuations are critical. Create your plan long before you need it, so you have time practice the steps before a storm arrives.
Snow storms: Preventive maintenance is key to keeping your equipment operational during winter weather. Yancey’s team is always on standby to help you create a wintertime maintenance plan and help winterize your fleet.
Heat: Summers in Georgia can be hot and humid, putting workers at risk of heat exhaustion and heatstroke. Prolonged exposure to high temperatures, particularly when combined with physical labor, can lead to dehydration and illness. With chiller rentals and proper planning and training, you can help everyone on your job site keep cool all summer long.
Other hazards: Weather events, including lightning, flooding, and extreme cold, also pose risks. Be sure you understand and have a plan for the specific risks for your location.
Safety is a Core Value of Yancey’s and job one of all of our employees. It’s equally as important to Caterpillar.
Training: Regular safety training is vital and should include any specific weather hazards workers may face on the job site. When you need resources, the Caterpillar Safety Services website offers a wide range of safety topics checklists that you can adapt.
Equipment: Your training should include plans for preventative seasonal maintenance so equipment is operating in prime condition for the season as well as plans to shelter and secure materials and equipment when severe weather arrives.
Best practices: Have a weather risk management process & plan for severe weather and communicate that plan to everyone on your job site. Then, monitor weather forecasts every day and adjust the work schedule accordingly.
Yancey has been George’s trusted provider of machinery and parts for more than a century, and our team has helped people weather every kind of storm imaginable. We have safety tips, maintenance recommendations, and more to share. Get in touch today.
