Workplace Winter Weather Risk Assessment

Winter weather is foreseeable. The problem is rarely a missing bag of salt; it is an unclear decision process. A useful workplace winter weather risk assessment identifies the routes and work most affected, sets forecast and inspection triggers, names the person who can change or stop work, and records what must happen before people arrive.

Treat winter weather as a foreseeable change

Employers must protect employees and others affected by the undertaking so far as is reasonably practicable. The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations require a suitable and sufficient assessment, while the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations require floors and traffic routes to be suitable, in good condition and not slippery. Outdoor workstations should, so far as reasonably practicable, protect workers from adverse weather.

There is no single weather warning, temperature or centimetre of snow that automatically closes every workplace. Conditions, exposure and consequences differ. A Met Office warning combines likelihood and likely impact; use it as an operational trigger to review the assessment, not as a substitute for the assessment or for an on-site inspection.

Review the plan before winter, after a near miss, when routes change, and whenever forecasts or local observations show that controls may no longer be effective. A sheltered Newcastle office will make different decisions from a depot on exposed ground in County Durham, but both need a defensible process.

HSE: slips and trips—what employers must do ↗ · Related guide: slips and trips risk assessment →

Map the routes and set a trigger

Walk the site in daylight and in the hours people normally arrive. Mark entrances, car parks, pedestrian routes, steps, ramps, loading areas, emergency exits and access for emergency services. Give priority to slopes, shaded ground, places where water collects and routes used by visitors or people with reduced mobility. Check lighting, drainage, damaged surfaces and the separation of vehicles and pedestrians.

Assign one role to monitor a reliable local forecast and Met Office warnings, and another competent person to inspect the site. Decide when they act, who they contact and who can divert a route, delay a delivery or close an area. Allow for dawn frost and local conditions that may not match a broad regional forecast. Keep a short record of the forecast, inspection, treatment and decision.

Met Office: UK weather warnings guide ↗ · Related guide: workplace transport risk assessment →

Grit before the frost—and verify the result

HSE advises identifying the areas most likely to be affected and gritting when frost, ice or snow is forecast. Salt is most effective before ice forms, often early in the evening or before employees arrive. It does not work instantly. Heavy rain can wash it away before freezing, and salt is less effective on deep or compacted snow.

Write down the priority routes, treatment method, storage point, person responsible and reinspection time. After treatment, check the surface rather than assuming the job is complete. If a route remains unsafe, use a properly assessed alternative, barriers and clear directions. Warning cones are temporary controls; remove them when the hazard has gone so they do not become another obstruction.

Plan supplies before a cold spell and give the people doing the work suitable equipment, information and time. Contractors can perform the task, but the occupier still needs coordination, confirmation and a way to deal with missed visits or deteriorating conditions.

HSE: gritting and clearing snow ↗

Change yard, delivery and journey controls

Ice, snow, low sun, wind and poor visibility change stopping distances, manoeuvring space and loading conditions. Reassess yard speeds, one-way routes, reversing arrangements, pedestrian segregation and whether loading or unloading can be moved, delayed or stopped. Check that drivers and visiting contractors receive current instructions rather than last season's plan.

Prepare vehicles for the conditions and do not pressure workers to make an unsafe journey. For driving at work, consider the driver, vehicle and journey together: tyres, lights, washers, planned route, forecast, rest, communications and the authority to postpone. Commuting is normally outside the employer's road-risk assessment, but opening times and attendance decisions still need consistent communication.

HSE: driving and riding safely for work ↗ · Related guide: driving for work risk assessment →

A bag of salt is not a winter plan.

Set the trigger before conditions turn.

HR + SAFETY can help North East SMEs map priority routes, assign decisions and build gritting, yard and stop-work controls into a usable winter risk assessment.

Discuss a winter-weather risk assessment

Protect outdoor workers from cold and loss of dexterity

Cold exposure can reduce concentration and manual dexterity before it becomes an emergency. Controls may include suitable layered and waterproof clothing, gloves compatible with the task, warm rest facilities, hot drinks, more frequent breaks, job rotation and rescheduling. Brief workers on early signs of cold stress and make clear how to report deteriorating conditions.

Consider the individual as well as the task. Disability, pregnancy, health conditions, medication, age, limited mobility or lone working may justify different controls or an individual review. Protect medical information and agree practical measures. Lone workers need reliable check-ins and a tested way to summon help when routes or communications are disrupted.

HSE: working safely in cold conditions ↗ · Related guide: workplace temperature law →

Stop unsafe work at height and re-inspect

Do not send people onto roofs or other exposed work areas in ice, frost, rain or strong winds simply because the programme is tight. Work at height must be planned, supervised and carried out safely, including the weather conditions that could endanger health and safety. Set a site-specific stop-work trigger and give the supervisor authority to use it.

After weather that may have affected stability or safety, check whether scaffolds, towers, access equipment or temporary structures require inspection before reuse. Clear access routes and check footwear, anchor points and surfaces; clearing the ground does not make an icy roof safe.

HSE: roof work and weather conditions ↗ · Related guide: scaffold inspection requirements →

Keep exits, heating changes and emergency plans joined up

Keep final exits, assembly points and emergency-service access usable. Plan for loss of heating, power or communications, and identify who may need assistance to evacuate over a changed route. Higher-consequence workplaces and premises with sleeping occupants, large numbers of people or vulnerable occupants need greater resilience, earlier escalation and clearer contingency arrangements.

Temporary heaters, generators, fuel or altered storage introduce new or changed fire hazards. Review and update the statutory fire risk assessment before relying on them. If the existing assessment does not adequately cover the specific equipment or fuel, complete a linked topic-specific assessment and incorporate its findings into the main fire risk assessment, emergency arrangements and controls. A heater check or contractor document is not a substitute for that review.

Workplace winter weather risk assessment checklist

Legal duties and official guidance were checked on 31 October 2026. Review the assessment whenever weather, work, people, routes or controls materially change; winter safety is a live operational decision, not a form completed once each year.

Inspect entrances, paths, car parks, slopes, yards and emergency routes.
Mark shaded, poorly drained and repeatedly wet areas.
Name who monitors forecasts, inspects the site and makes decisions.
Set local triggers for treatment, diversion, delay and closure.
Prioritise routes for pedestrians, visitors and vulnerable people.
Store grit and suitable equipment where trained staff can reach it.
Treat before frost where practicable, then inspect the result.
Change vehicle, delivery, loading and pedestrian controls as conditions change.
Provide suitable clothing, warm breaks and cold-stress information.
Give supervisors authority to stop unsafe outdoor or work-at-height tasks.
Keep exits, assembly points and emergency access usable.
Review the fire risk assessment before introducing temporary heating or fuel.
Record inspections, actions, decisions and the next review point.

THE PRACTICAL TAKEAWAY

A workable winter plan connects the forecast to named decisions: which routes are treated, what gets restricted, how workers are protected and who can delay or stop work. Inspect the result and record the decision rather than assuming salt or a weather warning has controlled the risk.

OFFICIAL GUIDANCE

This guide provides general information for UK employers. It is not legal advice and should not replace advice based on the facts of a specific matter.

Winter weather at work: a practical risk assessment for ice, snow and cold