Wintery conditions increase the risk of slips and falls outdoors, leading to potentially serious and life-changing injuries. On a national scale, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) report that 31% of all non-fatal injuries are caused as a result of slips, trips or falls on the same floor level (PDF: 'Kinds of accident statistics in Great Britain, 2018'). With a reduction in daylight hours over this winter period, outdoor workers need to be more aware of their surroundings ('Construction focus: safety in the darker winter months').

To combat these statistics, Surrey-based signage specialists Stocksigns Group has a wide range of outdoor construction safety signage in preparation for the weather taking a turn for the worst. Contractors and other people who oversee the control of a construction site must work together to manage the potential risks and eliminate these, allowing people to move safely around the site.

The main causes for slips and trips on these sites include uneven surfaces, obstacles, trailing leads and cables, wet or slippery surfaces and unexpected changes in the flooring level (HSE: 'Slips and trips'). Implementing the appropriate signage in locations where risks are high is a crucial safety tool to save injuries and even lives.

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Many individuals take traditional signage for granted across construction industry, but these are legal requirements by the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) which requires employers to protect against these hazards in the workplace ('Slips, Trips, and Falls Safety Training in the Construction Industry'). The UK has an aging workforce, as the number of people aged 65 and over is projected to rise by nearly 50 per cent by 2024, and by 2050 a quarter of the UK population will be aged over 65, therefore the preparations for not only this winter, but future harsh weather conditions must be taken now.

Stocksigns Group's essential hazard signs help alert and warn of potential dangers in and around a site. Hazard signs cover three main areas; Danger, Warning and Caution dependent on the severity of the threat. Made available in aluminium and rigid plastic, the Stocksigns Group range of construction safety signage are fully compliant with ISO 7010. The signage specialists are committee members of the Heath and Safety Sign Association (Stocksigns Accreditations), as well as being an active supporter and partner of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA).

Managing Director of the Stocksigns Group, Danny Adamson said: "It's crucial for both employers and employees to be made aware of the risks when working in treacherous conditions outdoors. We have a duty as signage professionals to guide individuals in making the correct choices when implementing signage around a site, maximising the levels of safety and reducing the potential risks to themselves and others around them.

"We are determined as a business to combat these underlying statistics for accidents in the industry. Many people don't spot the dangers on a worksite and we feel that it is part of our responsibility at Stocksigns to educate all individuals on a wide array of signage that can prevent serious accidents or worse."

To view the full range of safety signage for the cold months ahead, please visit the Stocksigns Group website here: www.stocksigns.co.uk