Get Your Site Ready for Winter: Electrical Essential to Stock Up On

As the days grow shorter and the temperatures drop, preparing your worksite for winter becomes essential. From increased lighting needs to keeping tools protected and workers safe, the colder months bring a new unique set of challenges for tradespeople. With the right gear, you can keep your jobs running smoothly, no matter what the British weather throws at you. 

In this article, we will look at what you need to stock up on to keep your site efficient, safe, and compliant this winter.

Temporary Lighting Solutions

With less natural light being available, effective sight lighting is needed to ensure your worksite is correctly illuminated. Type of lighting you should consider are:

LED Site Floodlight – Floodlights are bright, energy-efficient, and low-maintenance lighting offers a cost-effective lighting option highlighting key areas of your worksite. 

Tripod Work Lights – A more adjustable alternative, these durable tripod work lights are great at illuminating your construction site, temporary work area, and other outdoor environments where bright and reliable lighting is essential for safety and productivity. It is also great for changing work areas.

Rechargeable / Portable Work Lights – Rechargeable and portable work lights offer flexibility due them being cordless, a great solution when power access is limited. Some portable work lights offer strong magnetic bases to allow for extra manoeuvrability 

Festoon Lights – Festoon lights help to enhance visibility and safety in your workplace and provides reliable illumination in demanding environments. 

IP-rated lights – When working in harsher conditions, ensure your lighting is rated IP65 or above to withstand rain, mud, and dust. To learn more about IP ratings, check out our blog here.

Outdoor-Rated Extension Leads & Power Distribution

 Winter means wet conditions, and water and electrics don’t mix. Keep your workplace safe with: 

Extension leads – Site extension leads offer great reliability and performance. A lightweight alternative to cable reels, the bright yellow cable makes it easy to see and indicates 110V power. A great option to your worksite.

Portable Transformers – A safer option for site use, portable transformers offer lower voltage to help reduce risk of injury is a cable is damaged. A great option for providing larger corded power tools with power. These are also a suitable option for site lighting.

Weatherproof Junction boxes – Providing protection for outdoor connections during harsher weather conditions. 

Cable protectors – Cable protectors help to prevent trip hazards and water ingress affecting your cables providing weatherproof protection against harsh conditions for exterior use. 

Site Power Heating Essentials

Working in the UK winter conditions isn’t just uncomfortable; it can be unsafe. Keep workers warm with: 

Portable Heaters – The perfect option for site cabins or portable shelters, these heaters are safe to use on construction sites. With 3kW of available power and three selectable heat settings, keep your workers warm on site throughout the winter period. 

Cold Weather Protection for Tools & Equipment 

Van Storage – Van storage boxes provide additional security for your tools during winter. With tool theft on the rise, having an area where you can safely secure your tools will help reduce the risk of tool theft. 

Portable storage – Portable toolbox’s allows you to freely move your tools around a worksite whilst keeping them secure. Being IP65 rated, the weather seal will keep out rain and jobsite debris.  

Cable rollers & drum jacks – These are designed to deal with outdoor conditions and make it easy for you to distribute low and high voltage cable to allow for safe cable handling, laying and pulling on your next electrical installation job. 

Winter Ready Cables and Fixings

 Standard cable and fixings may become brittle or stiff in lower temperatures. We recommend you opt for the following to deal with the harsher weather conditions: 

Cable ties – Cable ties, help to ensure that your cables are secure, because of the colder weather conditions, having cable ties that can work in conditions below freezing means they won’t snap or crack because of the cold weather. They can also be immersed in water without impacting the performance of the cable tie. 

Cable glands – Glands will attach to the end of an electrical cable to help secure it to a piece of equipment. Make sure that your cable glands are IP rated 68 to protect from water and dust. The cable glands we have available also have operating temperatures of -40°C to 100°C. 

Cable Strip – Helps to protect your cables in adverse weather conditions. They are easy to use and can be used in temperatures of -10°C to +90°C

Conduit – Conduits are designed to protect essential electrical wiring from damage along the route it is installed. Whether you need to route cables through tight spaces or safeguard wiring in challenging environments, our cable conduit delivers reliable performance.

Safety & PPE for Winter Working

Wet, dark, and icy sites increase the risk of slips, trips, and exposure. Make sure you and your team have:

Hi-vis waterproof jackets – Warm and durable, hi-vis work jackets are widely used across multiple industries for working outside and at night. Whether you’re working in the dark, low visibility or in bad weather conditions, their range helps to keep you warm and dry during the winter periods.

Work trousers – Great for heavy duty work, carrying tools and staying warm and dry, having a good high-quality pair of work trousers is essential for staying comfortable and warm during the winter. 

Thermal gloves – Keeping your hands warm and protected is essential when working in cold environments. Our thermal gloves offer warmth, flexibility, breathability and excellent grip, keeping your hands safe and comfortable in even the harshest winter conditions. 

Safety Footwear – For maximum protection in the workplace, safety footwear offers excellent durability and reliability in harsh conditions. For a more lightweight option, safety trainers provide protection without compromising on style or breathability. 

Rechargeable head torches – Head torches are a hands-free lighting solution with are suitable for outdoor activities especially during the winter period where daylight hours are reduced. With an LED waterproof head torch, you can enjoy the benefits of hands-free lighting, and increased visibility.

Winter doesn’t have to slow you down. with the right electrical gear, tools, and safety equipment, you can keep your projects moving, whatever the weather.

Need help choosing the right kit? Pop into your local branch for expert advice and winter-ready gear.