If you are in charge of construction workers who need to keep working outdoors through a cold winter, you need to keep a close eye on their safety.

When the temperature falls, and especially when snow and ice appear, how a construction worker approaches daily tasks must change. The worst thing you can do is ignore the weather, assuming instead that workers just need to throw on a warm coat and continue working as they have been. Cold weather is a legitimate danger that needs to be taken seriously.

What follows are some general tips and guidelines you can use to help keep your construction workers safe as they work through cold and snow.

Personal heat

Make sure workers have the necessary personal gear for staying warm:

• A knit cap, balaclava or ski mask
• A warm, waterproof coat
• Waterproof coveralls or bib overalls
• Insulated work gloves or (even better) mittens
• Waterproof work boots with good traction

Construction workers should also avoid caffeine and tobacco before and during their shifts. Both of these substances can narrow blood vessels, which limits the amount of heat that reaches the extremities.

Worksite heat

Though it won’t always be possible, try to schedule work during the warmest parts of the day to get the most out of what little heat Mother Nature offers. Beyond that, you can help your employees stay more comfortable by following these suggestions:

• Try to shield the worksite from wind.
• Keep a warm, enclosed space available to give workers a place to get warm.
• Run a kerosene or oil heater or other source of warmth at the job site.

Proper safety training

All workers should be properly trained in cold-weather safety. These aspects in particular should be top-of-mind for you and your employees:

• Never let someone work alone.
• A cell phone or radio handset should always be nearby.
• The body has to work harder to maintain its internal temperature when it’s cold outside, so keep it hydrated and take a break whenever you start to feel worn down.
• Everyone on the site should know and recognize the signs and symptoms of frostbite and hypothermia.
• If people are working at height, all walkways and ladders should be checked for ice at the beginning of a shift. If there’s any sign of freezing, spread salt and sand or remove workers from the area.
• Institute a mandatory end-of-shift checkout procedure to ensure that all workers are accounted for and healthy at the end of the shift.

Hundreds of thousands of working days are lost every year to work-related illness and injury. Put worker safety at the top of your priorities this winter to help all your construction workers make it through the season healthy, whole and happy.

Buying a home is a huge milestone in one’s life, and it cultivates a sense of responsibility and accomplishment. But one of the chores associated with home ownership is repairing problems yourself instead of relying on a landlord.

Prepare yourself for most home repairs before they happen by filling up your tool shed and learning how to fix various things around the house. The following tips should help you get started.

Fill your toolbox

There are certain tools every homeowner should own, and there are tools for more advanced projects. You’ll want to start out with the basics first and work your way up to advanced tools after you gain more experience completing projects around the house. Here’s what you should have in your beginner’s toolkit:

·          Hammer and nails

·          Measuring tape

·          Putty knife

·          Screwdrivers (flat-head, Phillips, etc.)

·          Pliers

·          Adjustable wrench

You can perform a lot of basic repairs with these tools. More specialized tools — like drills, saws, sanders, multi-function tools and more — may be useful if you’re planning to build something, but you may otherwise be able to get by without them.

You probably shouldn’t jump right in and attempt electrical work or roofing repairs, but you can start by fixing small problems that are relatively hassle-free.

Fill holes in the walls

Most homeowners try to patch up nail holes before selling a house, but it’s possible for them to miss a few. But patching small holes is an easy fix — use your putty knife to spread a little spackling paste over the hole until it’s smooth. Try to repair any holes before you paint the walls, and don’t forget to prime before painting, so the color turns out evenly.

Hang pictures and decorations

While this isn’t necessarily a repair project, it is something you’ll want to do to make your house feel like home. You’ll need your hammer, nails and a stud finder so your pictures will hang securely, though you probably won’t need to find studs if you’re hanging smaller frames.

Move up to more difficult projects

Once you get the hang of using different tools on a regular basis, you’ll probably feel more comfortable tackling harder home repairs, like these.

Repair a cracked sidewalk

A cracked sidewalk not only looks unattractive, it can also pose a tripping hazard. A small crack can be fixed with some concrete crack filler and a putty knife. Larger cracks may require the use of a hammer, chisel, patching compound and concrete tools to widen the crack so the new compound sticks in place.

Replace kitchen cabinet hardware

If your kitchen cabinets are fairly old, the knobs are probably worn down, faulty or just plain ugly. You can replace them fairly easily with a cordless drill, a few basic tools you already own, the new hardware you want to install and — to make the job easier — a drawer template. Just unscrew the old knobs and drill holes using the drawer template, and attach the new hardware with the screws they came with.

No matter how unskilled you are with the most basic tool, you can improve! Don’t be afraid to ask for help from a friend, and do plenty of research before you start a project. With enough practice, you’ll be able to do anything from fixing a leak to installing flooring.