Winter conditions add an extra layer of risk to working at heights. Icy surfaces, frost, strong winds, and reduced daylight all increase the likelihood of slips, falls, and accidents, while cold temperatures can cause fatigue, numbness, or cold stress that impairs concentration. This guide outlines the key hazards of working at heights in the winter and provides practical strategies, PPE recommendations, and regulatory guidance to help you keep your team safe and compliant at heights.
Main Winter Hazards and How to Manage Them
Working at heights in the winter introduces a range of hazards that can compromise safety if not managed correctly. Implementing practical control measures like de-icing surfaces, using appropriate PPE, monitoring weather, and adjusting work schedules helps reduce risk and ensures that workers remain safe and productive during winter months.
Slippery Surfaces and Hidden Hazards
Working on roofs is already classified as high-risk work, and winter conditions make it even more challenging. Ice, frost, moss, wet debris, and algae can accumulate on skylights and roof sheets, creating hidden hazards that are difficult to spot. Even experienced workers may struggle to identify icy patches or unprotected skylights at a glance, increasing the risk of slips and falls.
Control Measures:
- Proactive Planning: Conduct a thorough roof inspection before work begins, identifying all fall hazards such as skylights, vents, and unprotected edges. Prepare a Safe Work Method Statement (SWMS) outlining how these risks will be managed.
- Physical Protections: Install skylight mesh, guardrails, and walkway systems to protect workers from falls. Clearly point out all hazards on roof layouts so every team member is aware before starting work.
- Appropriate Footwear: Use boots with strong treads to reduce the likelihood of slipping on icy or wet surfaces.
- Fall Prevention Devices: Employ individual fall-arrest systems, including harnesses and secure anchor points, to minimise injury if a fall occurs.
- Risk Management Decisions: If conditions are unsafe, work should be postponed. SafeWork Australia advises that when it’s not reasonably practicable to eliminate a risk, you must take all steps to minimise it, which can include stronger protective measures or stopping work entirely.
For more detailed guidance, refer to the Code of Practice for Managing the Work Environment and Facilities to ensure compliance and effective hazard control below:
Code of Practice for Managing the Work Environment and Facilities
Adverse Winter Weather
Never underestimate the danger of wind, rain, or snow while working at heights. Strong gusts can lift loose materials, reduce stability, and make even familiar surfaces slippery and unsafe. In recent years, regulators have taken action over workplace incidents where adverse weather contributed to falls, for example, a Victorian demolition company pleaded guilty in 2023 after a site supervisor was removing tin roof sheets in windy conditions, stepped on a dislodged sheet and fell, sustaining serious injuries. The prosecution highlighted how quickly unpredictable weather and inadequate fall?prevention planning can escalate hazards for anyone working at height.
Control Measures:
- Risk Assessment: Conduct a thorough assessment before starting work, considering frost, snow, fog, or predicted high winds. Evaluate how weather may affect rooftop access and surface conditions.
- Check Forecasts: Regularly consult Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) weather warnings and forecasts to anticipate hazards and plan work safely.
- Set Wind Speed Limits: Establish safe wind thresholds for height work and postpone tasks if gusts exceed limits.
- Adjust Work Plans: Schedule tasks for safer periods of the day, such as mid-morning or after lunch, and be prepared to reschedule if conditions change suddenly.
- Extra Precautions: Use additional PPE, fall prevention equipment, and clear snow or ice from surfaces as required to maintain a safe working environment.
For official guidance, refer to SafeWork NSW control measures for adverse weather and always ensure your team is equipped to respond to changing conditions.
Check local BOM weather warnings & forecasts here
Reduced Visibility
Obscured vision is a significant winter hazard when working at heights. Fog, low light, glare from wet or icy surfaces, and airborne dust or debris can all reduce a worker’s ability to see clearly, increasing the risk of trips, slips, or falls from ladders, platforms, and roofs.
Control Measures:
- Know the Site Layout: Familiarise all workers with roof layouts, anchor points, ladders, walkways, and potential hazards before starting any task.
- Lighting Solutions: Use portable, weather-resistant lighting to illuminate work areas during low-light conditions or overcast days.
- Clear Markings: Ensure walkways, edges, ladders, and anchor points are clearly marked and easily identifiable.
- PPE: Provide protective goggles or visors to reduce the impact of wind-blown debris, glare, or precipitation.
- Work Decisions: If visibility is too low to work safely, postpone or pause tasks until conditions improve.
Monitoring weather reports and planning work around periods of better visibility helps maintain safety and prevents avoidable accidents during winter height work.
Cold Stress and Worker Health
Prolonged exposure to cold temperatures can lead to cold stress, which includes fatigue, reduced coordination, numbness, and more serious health issues such as hypothermia, frostbite, or trench foot. These conditions not only compromise a worker’s health but also increase the risk of slips, falls, and mistakes while working at heights, where focus and dexterity are critical. Even mild colds or flu can reduce alertness, making seemingly simple tasks dangerous.
Control Measures:
- Insulated PPE: Provide warm, waterproof clothing, gloves, and thermal layers to maintain body heat while allowing freedom of movement.
- Task Rotation: Rotate workers between colder and warmer tasks or areas to limit prolonged exposure to harsh conditions.
- Warm Breaks: Schedule regular breaks in heated or sheltered areas to allow recovery and reduce fatigue.
- Training: Educate staff to recognize early signs of cold stress and hypothermia, including shivering, numbness, confusion, and loss of coordination.
- Monitoring & Intervention: Supervisors should monitor weather conditions and worker wellbeing, providing guidance or stopping work if unsafe practices or symptoms arise.
Following Safe Work NSW requirements for cold environments ensures both compliance and worker safety, helping prevent incidents caused by winter hazards while working at heights.
Fulfil your legal obligations while working at heights in winter
Preparing the Site for Winter Work
Before any winter height work begins, it’s essential to inspect the site, check for icy or slippery surfaces, and ensure all access points, guardrails, and anchor systems are safe and ready. Proper preparation sets the foundation for a safe and efficient day on the roof.
Seasonal Planning
Think ahead. Use the warmer months to carry out rooftop inspections and maintenance, checking for wear, damage, or weak points. Ensure all height safety and fall protection systems are installed, tested, and ready, so winter work can proceed safely without delays or unexpected hazards.
Pre-work Checks
Prepare the work area by factoring in extra time each day to clear snow, ice, or debris from walkways, platforms, and around anchor points. Wipe down ladders, rails, and other equipment to remove moisture that could cause slips. Check the roof and height safety system at the start of every workday, and especially after storms or severe weather, to ensure all surfaces and fall protection measures are safe and fully functional.
Weather Monitoring and Work Scheduling
Be prepared for changing winter conditions by checking daily weather forecasts before starting work. Adjust schedules to avoid unsafe conditions such as high winds, frost, snow, or heavy rain. Planning work around safer periods helps protect workers, reduces the risk of accidents, and ensures tasks at height can be completed efficiently and safely.
Equipment and Safety Systems
Using the right personal protective equipment and properly maintained safety systems is essential for protecting workers during winter height work.
Appropriate Cold Weather PPE
Wear the right gear for winter conditions. This includes waterproof gloves and glove liners, insulated boots with strong tread and ankle support, thermal layers, helmet liners, and high-visibility clothing. Proper PPE helps maintain body warmth, protects against wet and slippery surfaces, and ensures workers remain comfortable, alert, and safe while performing tasks at height.
Additional Fall Protection in Adverse Weather
Even when guardrails, walkways, and platforms are in place, extra fall protection may be required during wet, icy, or windy conditions. Harnesses, lanyards, and secure anchor points provide an added layer of safety, reducing the risk of slips or falls when surfaces are slippery or strong gusts affect balance. Always assess conditions daily to determine if additional protection is needed.
Inspection and Compliance
Regular inspections are essential for maintaining safety during winter height work. Conduct daily checks of roofs, ladders, guardrails, and anchor points to identify hazards such as ice, frost, or loose debris. After storms or severe weather, carry out post-event inspections before allowing work to resume. Ensuring compliance with WHS regulations and Safe Work guidance helps protect workers and reduces the risk of accidents in challenging winter conditions.
Controlling On-site Risks During Winter
Managing winter hazards requires both visible controls like marked walkways and guardrails, and safe worker practices, including vigilance, PPE use, and adherence to procedures.
Exclusion Zones and Hazard Marking
When working in winter, clearly mark and block off hazardous areas such as roof edges, skylights, or slippery zones. Use high-visibility tape, flags, or temporary guardrails to create exclusion zones that alert workers to risks and provide extra protection, especially when visibility is reduced due to fog, low light, or snow.
Work Pace and Care
Rushing in winter conditions can be deadly. Cold, wet, or icy surfaces reduce grip and increase the risk of slips and falls. Move deliberately and carefully when climbing ladders, walking across roofs, or handling tools at height. Taking your time helps maintain balance, focus, and overall safety on the worksite.
Warm Breaks and Recovery
Regular breaks are essential during winter work to limit cold exposure and allow workers to recover. Provide a sheltered, dry area, ideally indoors, equipped with heating and access to warm drinks and food. Scheduled warm breaks help maintain body temperature, reduce fatigue, and keep workers alert and safe while performing tasks at height.
Winter Height Safety Checklist
A quick reference for keeping workers safe at heights during winter:
- Conduct seasonal inspections and maintenance before winter starts
- Perform daily pre-work checks of roofs, ladders, guardrails, and anchor points
- Monitor weather forecasts and adjust work schedules as needed
- Wear appropriate cold-weather PPE: thermal layers, insulated gloves, boots, helmet liners, hi-vis clothing
- Use additional fall protection in wet, icy, or windy conditions
- Mark and enforce exclusion zones around roof edges, skylights, and hazards
- Maintain a safe work pace, avoiding rushing on slippery surfaces
- Schedule warm breaks in sheltered or heated areas with access to hot drinks and food
- Rotate tasks and limit prolonged exposure to cold conditions
- Conduct post-storm inspections and ensure compliance with WHS regulations
Anchor Safe Understands Winter Safety
As the colder months set in, working at height brings added challenges, from slippery surfaces to reduced visibility. Anchor Safe is here to help. With expert inspections, tailored installations, and hands-on training, we ensure your team stays safe and compliant all winter long. Our solutions are designed to meet seasonal risks head-on, giving you confidence that your workplace is prepared for whatever winter throws your way.
WORK WITH A QUALIFIED HEIGHT SAFETY SPECIALIST
Don’t wait for an accident to highlight gaps in your safety measures. Arrange a height safety audit with Anchor Safe today and gain peace of mind knowing your team, equipment, and site are fully protected. Our experts identify risks, recommend tailored solutions, and ensure your workplace stays compliant: keeping your people safe before hazards escalate.