Cold weather poses serious challenges for domiciliary care providers. Freezing temperatures, icy pavements, and dark mornings can all increase the likelihood of accidents involving care staff. Many of these risks can be prevented with a robust cold weather plan for home care operations.
Below are practical steps to help protect your employees, reduce incidents, and ensure business continuity throughout the winter months.
1. Provide Appropriate Footwear and PPE for Care Staff
Equipping your care team with the right winter PPE is essential.
- Choose footwear designed for icy pavements and slippery conditions. Sole patterns and materials vary, so select footwear based on identified risks.
- Consider overshoes or coverings for additional grip.
- Train staff on why PPE is required, and ensure it is worn at all times.
- Conduct regular checks on PPE use and encourage staff to report defects or faults immediately.
By prioritising personal protective equipment for domiciliary care staff, you can significantly reduce the risk of slips, trips, and falls during the winter.
2. Winter Vehicle Maintenance Tips for Care Staff
Care workers rely heavily on vehicles to reach clients safely. A winter vehicle maintenance plan should include:
- Ensuring vehicles are serviced, with batteries and engine oil checked. Cold weather can weaken batteries and increase strain from heaters.
- Keeping windscreen wipers switched off (not on automatic) when parked in freezing conditions.
- Topping up windscreen washer fluid to comply with UK law (fines start at £100 for driving without it).
- Checking vehicle lights (headlights, brake lights, fog lights) regularly.
Introduce a winter driving policy for domiciliary care staff to ensure vehicles are prepared and equipped with additional safety equipment.
3. Safe Winter Driving Tips for Carers
Care staff must be confident when driving in hazardous conditions. Encourage the following:
- Plan journeys on main roads and allow extra travel time.
- Keep fuel tanks topped up before each shift.
- Clear all snow and ice from windscreens, mirrors, windows, and vehicle roofs before driving.
- Warn staff about “frost-jacking”, where thieves target unattended cars left idling while defrosting.
- Ensure staff have completed driver induction and assessment training for winter conditions.
- Maintain a greater distance from the vehicle ahead to avoid collisions.
4. Anticipate Hazardous Road Conditions
Domiciliary care providers should monitor weather forecasts and assess risks daily. Consider:
- Using winter tyres where appropriate.
- Reviewing whether journeys are essential during extreme conditions.
- Allowing staff extra time to travel safely.
- Equipping staff with emergency contact numbers and breakdown procedures.
Being proactive helps ensure staff safety and prevents service disruption during adverse weather.
Supporting Care Providers with Fleet Risk Management
At Quality Care Group, we understand the risks that winter brings to domiciliary care operations. Our expert fleet risk management solutions help care providers safeguard their staff and vehicles all year round.
📩 For more information, contact our Risk Control team here.
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