Top 5 winter factors that affect the performance and safety of your manual handling equipment

The colder months will soon be on their way. The shorter days and lower temperatures bring challenges for anyone relying on manual handling equipment. Whether you’re moving stock in a busy warehouse, delivering goods to customers, or shifting heavy loads at home, the colder months can affect both performance and safety. The good news is that with a little preparation, you can keep your equipment and your team working safely and efficiently all season long.

5 winter factors affecting the safety and performance of your equipment

1. Cold temperatures and metal fatigue

When temperatures plummet, metal components such as frames, axles, and handles can become more brittle. This increases the risk of cracks or weld failures, especially if you’ve had your manual handling equipment for a while and it’s already worn.

What to do:

• Store equipment indoors or in a sheltered space overnight.

• Carry out a pre-winter inspection to spot early signs of stress or corrosion. Look for early warning signs like cracks or hairline fractures in welds and joints, rust spots, or stiff or noisy wheels or moving parts. These are the main red flags that all is not well with your kit.

• Apply protective coatings where needed. Before winter sets in, clean any rust patches back to bare metal and treat them with a rust converter or zinc-rich primer. Then seal with a hard-wearing enamel or epoxy topcoat to block moisture. For high-wear or exposed parts like hinges, wheel brackets, and bolts, use a clear spray-on protective coating or wax-based inhibitor to keep damp and salt at bay. This will ensure your equipment stays strong and corrosion-free through the cold months.

2. Reduced tyre and wheel grip

Wet leaves, frost, and icy patches can make it harder to control trolleys and sack trucks, increasing the risk of slips or collisions. Slips, trips, and falls are the most common workplace accident type in the UK and account for 30% of all non-fatal injuries.

What to do:

• Choose wheels with treaded or non-marking rubber for better grip.

• Keep wheel surfaces clean and free from debris.

• Consider seasonal wheel swaps for outdoor work. If your trolleys or trucks spend a lot of time outdoors in winter, swap standard hard rubber or nylon wheels for pneumatic or semi-pneumatic tyres with deeper tread. These handle wet, icy, or uneven ground far better, reduce vibration on frozen surfaces, and help protect both the load and the frame from extra stress.

3. Moisture and rust

Rain, snow, and condensation can cause rust on frames, bearings, and moving parts, leading to stiffness or failure of your manual handling equipment. Corrosion not only weakens the structural integrity of your kit, but it can also increase rolling resistance, making loads harder to move and increasing strain on the operator.

What to do:

• Wipe down equipment after outdoor use.

• Lubricate moving parts regularly.

• Opt for rust-resistant materials such as aluminium or galvanised steel if you’re going to be using your trucks and trolleys outdoors a lot.

4. Reduced visibility

Shorter days and poor lighting can make it harder to spot hazards, read labels, or navigate tight spaces safely. According to IOSH, poor lighting is a contributing factor in many workplace accidents, particularly in storage and transport environments.

What to do:

• Improve warehouse and yard lighting.

• Add reflective tape or high-visibility paint to equipment.

• Train staff on safe navigation in low-light conditions.

5. Overloading manual handling equipment in peak season

Winter often coincides with peak retail and distribution demand. You’ve got Black Friday followed closely by Christmas and the January sales, tempting operators to overload equipment to save time. This increases the risk of tipping, equipment damage, and musculoskeletal injuries, which account for 27% of all work-related ill health in the UK.

What to do:

• Reinforce safe load limits in seasonal safety briefings and staff meetings.

• Use the right trolley for the job. Think platform trolleys for bulkier loads, sack trucks for tall stacks, and stair-climbing trucks for safely moving loads up and down steps without excessive lifting.

• Rotate equipment to avoid overuse of a single unit.

A bonus tip: Create a mini winter maintenance kit if you don’t have one already that includes the essentials. Include a microfibre cloth for drying, a small bottle of lubricant, de-icer spray for wheels, and a torch for quick inspections. A few minutes of care every day can prevent costly downtime.

Your manual handling equipment is a vital part of keeping goods moving safely and efficiently, especially during the busiest months of the year. By getting ready for the challenges winter brings and taking simple preventative steps, you can protect your investment, keep your team safe, and keep productivity high. Whatever the weather throws at you.