skip navigation
Home >  WorkSafe >  Industries >  Construction >  More information >  Working safety in wet weather

Working safely in wet weather

This pamphlet provides information for employers and employees in the construction industry about identifying, assessing and controlling hazards associated with working in wet weather.

Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Risk factors
  3. Safe systems at work
  4. Legislation

1. Introduction

Provided work is arranged to minimise hazards associated with wet weather, and safe systems of work are followed, work at construction workplaces can continue safely.

Taking steps to control these hazards will protect the safety and health of employees, and will benefit companies and enterprises through:

  • reduced injury and disease;
  • higher levels of job satisfaction and reduced absenteeism; and
  • increased efficiency and productivity.

2. Risk factors

The main factors which affect safe construction work in wet weather are:

  • slippery work at heights;
  • slippery, wet floor surfaces, steps and footholds;
  • excavations caving in;
  • electrical hazards - wet electrical cords, cables, sockets, power points and power equipment;
  • welding hazards - eg wet steelwork or the welding handpiece becoming "live";
  • slippery tools, handles and other hand grip surfaces;
  • reduced manual dexterity in some tasks;
  • lightning strikes during thunderstorms; and
  • contamination from flooded sewerage systems.

Windy conditions, whether wet or dry, involve additional risk factors for safe construction work:

  • Loose roofing materials, scaffold planks, and other unsecured materials at heights;
  • Incomplete structures, eg roofing, sheds;
  • Inadequately secured scaffolding;
  • Unsecured free-standing walls or framework;
  • Foreign matter in eyes; and
  • Cranes becoming unstable when winds exceed manufacturers' recommendations for safe operation.

If the weather is excessively cold, safe work may be affected by reduced feeling and function in the hands or feet. Discomfort caused by excessive cold may lead to inattentiveness and distraction.

3. Safety systems at work

Wet, windy or cold weather does not necessarily make construction work unsafe, provided safe systems of work can be implemented. These can include:

Work organisation

Reorganise construction work in wet weather so employees do more of the work:

  • under sections where roofing or overhead cover are present;
  • under sheltered structures, eg sheds;
  • under temporary shelter, eg tarpaulins;
  • after wet components have dried; and
  • on tasks not made hazardous by wet weather.

Monitor weather forecasts so that alternative tasks can be planned a day or more ahead. Ensure all electrical appliances are safe. Ensure all electric cables are raised to a safe height above the ground.

Minimise the amount of wet weather work to be done at height. Ensure fall protection measures and equipment are provided and used - prior to wet or windy weather. Wherever possible, pre-assemble structural components on the ground instead of at height.

When planning long-term jobs, consider programming work that might be affected by rain for drier months.

On prefabricated structures, consider forward-planning the roof cladding, to provide shelter during other construction work.

Work environment

  • allocate work in dry, sheltered areas when rain makes exposed areas hazardous;
  • ensure good drainage so the site dries quickly;
  • plan for pumps to disperse flooding;
  • erect temporary shelters, for example, tents or tarpaulins; and
  • in windy weather, ensure loose items and incomplete structures are tied down and braced against wind pressures.

Amenities

  • provide dry shelter areas where spare dry clothing can be stored and wet clothing can be changed; and
  • for cold weather, provide a warm shelter area.

Wet weather clothing

  • preferred wet weather clothing for construction work is waterproof trousers, and jacket with hood (to be worn with safety helmet);
  • safety shoes or boots should have slip resistant soles; and
  • safety gum boots may be required for work in wet areas.

Health status of employees

  • some employees may have medical conditions that reduce their tolerance to cold or wet conditions. In such cases, advice from their doctor should be considered by employers.

Employers are responsible for providing and maintaining safe systems of work in wet weather. Employees are required to co-operate in applying these systems.

4. Legislation

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1984, employers are required to provide, as far as is practicable, a working environment in which employees are not exposed to hazards (Section 19).

Employees are required by the Act to take reasonable care to ensure their own safety and health at work, and that of others (Section 20).

The Act also requires employers and employees to consult with one another on safety and health matters. When there is a difference of opinion between the employer and employees on safety and health, the issue should be resolved as prescribed in the Act.

Information, instruction, training and supervision

Employers have a duty of care under the Act to provideinformation, instruction, training and supervision so that employees are not exposed to hazards. This applies to all aspects of work, including work in wet, cold, windy or hot weather.

The Occupational Safety and Health Regulations 1996 require employers, main contractors and self employed persons to, as far as practicable, identify each hazard to which a person is likely to be exposed, assess the risk of injury or harm from each hazard, and consider the means of reducing the risk (Regulation 3.1).

Part 3 of the Regulations includes:

  • general duties for workplaces (Division 1);
  • personal protective clothing and equipment (Division 2);
  • noise control (Division 4);
  • prevention of falls (Division 5);
  • electricity (Division 6);
  • scaffolds, gantries, hoardings and barricades, and formwork (Division 7);
  • confined spaces (Division 8);
  • tilt-up concrete and pre-cast concrete elements (Division 9, Subdivision 1);
  • welding and allied processes (Division 9, Subdivision 3);
  • excavation and earthworks (Division 9, subdivision 6); and
  • demolition (Division 9, subdivision 7).

Copies of this publication may be freely printed and distributed provided that WorkSafe Western Australia receives appropriate acknowledgement, and that no substantial changes are made to the text. [WorkSafe Western Australia] Wet-94a-95-(96/7)

Related information