WINTER SAFETY

Team Briefings

Date Issued:	Drafted By:	Role:
27/12/2024	Dujon Toussaint	Head of Stations
Issued To:
All station staff including agency partners.
Line of Route:	Station:
Entire network	All stations
Subject:	Key Message:	Category:
Winter Safety	Seasonality Preparedness	Safety

Introduction

Below are some hints, tips and reminders that will help to keep you safe during inclement weather. Slip and trip accidents increase during the Autumn and Winter seasons for several reasons: there is less daylight, leaves fall onto paths and become wet and slippery and cold weather spells cause ice and snow to build up on paths. There are effective actions that you can take to reduce the risk of a slip or trip. Regardless of the size of your station, always ensure that regularly used walkways are promptly tackled.

Seasonal Preparedness

During the autumn/winter months ARL usually records an increase in the number of passenger slips, trip and falls across the Overground network. You play a key role in ensuring the risks of autumn/winter environmental conditions are mitigated as far as is reasonably practicable.

Issues to consider during winter months

Staff Welfare	Travelling to and from work
Lighting	Wet & decaying leaves
Rain Water	Ice, Frost, Snow
Snow Clearance	Gritting

Traveling to and from Work

Either walking, cycling, driving, bus or by train, whatever the conditions, hazards and delays are very likely, so allow extra time for your journey. If using trains or buses check journey information.

Is the clothing you are wearing suitable for the conditions as the weather may get worse as the day goes on. Carry suitable supplies (food & drink) for the day as it is colder and shops you would usually expect to be open may be closed.

Staff Welfare

The effects of cold weather on our health can be serious if the correct measures are not taken. This impact may be immediate, or it may occur over a long time period, however, some of the most effective ways of managing these seasonal chnages are to take some simple precautions;

Driving to Work

Drive slower, the first 10 minutes of snow & rain can be the most dangerous.
Increase your distance to the car ahead, a 5 second gap to the vehicle ahead is recommended during adverse conditions.
Avoid snow drifts, standing water and large puddles.
Avoid lanes where snow/water accumulates and try to drive in the tracks left by vehicles ahead. Beware of potholes. Winter often bring enlarged potholes in the road.
Keep a look out for these unexpected obstacles and drive around them if safe to do so.

Lighting

Is there enough lighting around your workplace for you and your colleagues to be able to see and avoid hazards that might be on the ground? This can be achieved by completing your daily KPI checks and reporting any lighting issues to the Carlisle help-desk immediately.

Please ensure that your platform lights are turning on at the right times to adequately illuminate the entire station environment including ticket offices and messroom facilities.

Wet & Decaying Leaves

Fallen leaves that become wet or have started to decay can create slip risks in two ways, they hide any hazard that may be on the path or they themselves create a slip risk.

If you find that fallen leaves have not been cleared sufficiently and may cause a risk, then please report this to the Carlisle help-desk immediately on 01480 220 238.

Rain Water

During times of inclement weather, please ensure that the station entrances are regularly checked for slip hazards e.g. standing water (puddling). This also applies to platforms, overbridges, stairs and any other infrastructure that is open to the elements.

Please be extra vigilant during your station KPI and security checks and report any slip/trip hazards so they can be dealt with immediately.

When surfaces at station become wet, please remember to make announcements informing passengers to take extra care during wet weather and place wet floor signage in strategic places to alert passengers of the potential slip risk, e.g. walkways, near stairs etc. To avoid them from becoming an obstruction, please do not place the signage where it could hinder customer flows and ensure that once the floor surface is no longer wet or posing any risk that the wet floor signage is removed.

Snow Clearance

Where snow is settled or falling, how we manage the station environment needs to take a different approach. In the two pictures below are examples of snow clearance on our platforms.

Gritting

Gritting should be carried out when frost, ice or snow is forecast or when walkways are likely to be damp or wet and the floor temperatures are at, or below freezing. The best times are early in evening before the frost settles and/or early in the morning before passengers arrive. Pro-coat (gritting material) doesn’t work instantly; it needs enough time to dissolve into the moisture on the floor.

It is highly important that you ensure that all identified areas have an even level of grit. Too little will not be effective in preventing frost and ice as Pro-coat is a preventative not reactive substance. If at any point you notice that frost or ice is forming on the station you should act as required for that area.

Please note; If you grit when it is raining heavily the salt will be washed away, causing a problem if the rain then turns to snow. Compacted snow, which turns to ice, is difficult to treat effectively with grit. Be aware that ‘dawn frost’ can occur on dry surfaces, when early morning dew forms and freezes on impact with the cold surface. It can be difficult to predict when or where this condition will occur.

If you require any further guidance on this, please speak to your Line Manager.