Top Tips for Staying Safe at School During the Colder Months

Winter and Spring in New Zealand brings colder temperatures and more rain and wind. For schools, these seasonal changes can introduce additional health, safety, and wellbeing risks for staff, students, and visitors.

Slippery floors, poor visibility, cold classrooms, illnesses, and lower energy levels can all affect the school environment. The good news is that many of these risks can be managed with a little preparation and a proactive approach. Read on to see our handy safety checklist.

Risks in schools

In Aotearoa’s wet climate, the weather can affect both indoor and outdoor areas of a school. While many hazards are present all year round, they may become more likely or more serious during the colder months.

• Slippery floors and walkways
  • Rainwater can quickly be tracked into classrooms, reception areas, corridors, and other high-traffic spaces. Wet floors increase the risk of slips and falls for staff, students, parents, and visitors.
  • Outdoor paths, steps, ramps, and playground surfaces can also become slippery, particularly after heavy rain or when moss and leaves build up.

• Cold classrooms
  • Cold classrooms are uncomfortable and can affect concentration, energy levels, and general wellbeing. Some staff and students may be more affected by the cold than others, particularly people with underlying health conditions or sensitivities.
  • Schools also need to consider the balance between keeping rooms warm and maintaining good ventilation.

• Illnesses
  • Colder weather often means more time spent indoors and in close contact with others. This can contribute to the spread of respiratory illnesses, including colds and influenza.
  • When staff are unwell, schools may also experience increased pressure on the wider team, changes to lesson plans, and disruptions to learning.

• Poor visibility
  • Shorter days, dark mornings, and early sunsets can make it harder to see hazards around car parks, entrances, walkways, and outdoor areas.
  • Poor lighting can make wet surfaces, uneven ground, damaged equipment, or obstacles more difficult to identify.

• Wind and storm damage
  • Strong winds can create additional hazards around the school grounds. Loose outdoor equipment, fallen branches, damaged fencing, and blocked paths should be identified and managed promptly.
  • Severe weather can also affect access to the school, transport arrangements, outdoor activities, and emergency plans.

• Wellbeing challenges
  • Harsher weather can affect people’s mood, motivation, energy, and general sense of wellbeing. Some people experience seasonal affective disorder, while others may simply find the darker, colder months more challenging.
  • It is important not to make assumptions about how someone is feeling. Instead, schools can create an environment where staff and students feel comfortable raising concerns and asking for support.

How to manage health, safety, and wellbeing during winter and spring

Although we can’t change the weather, there are practical steps schools can take to reduce seasonal risks.

1. Review your wet-weather controls
Take a walk through the school and consider where water is most likely to enter or collect.

2. Check classrooms and indoor spaces
Make sure heating systems are working properly and that classrooms are reasonably warm and comfortable.

3. Improve lighting around the school
Check lighting in areas that are used early in the morning or later in the afternoon.

4. Support staff and student wellbeing
Wellbeing is part of health and safety. Supporting people early can help prevent small concerns from becoming bigger problems.

5. Prepare for severe weather
Review your plans for heavy rain, strong winds, flooding, power outages, and other severe weather events.

6. Keep reporting simple
If reporting is time-consuming or unclear, small issues may go unreported until they cause an incident. Make sure staff can quickly record hazards, incidents, near misses, and wellbeing concerns using a process that is easy to access.

Here’s a handy safety checklist for your school

A few practical checks, regular communication, and a willingness to act on concerns can make a significant difference to the health, safety, and wellbeing of your whole school community.

Reach out to us for support

While harsh weather is inevitable, injuries and preventable hazards do not have to be.

If you are looking for a comprehensive way to manage your school’s health, safety, and wellbeing, check out GOSH for Education, our online health and safety tool designed specifically for use in New Zealand schools.