Winter Safety Tips

Winter is here, and it brings new workplace risks. It doesn’t need to snow for accidents to happen. Wet, windy and icy weather is equally hazardous.

Employees should be safe at work, regardless of the weather, and prevention is crucial to manage workplace winter safety. Did you know that STFs account for 15% of accidental deaths at work in the US? In northern areas, winter means early nights and cold mornings. Your employees leave and arrive at work in the dark, and consequently, trip hazards can go undetected. But slips, trips and falls are only one of the increased risks associated with Winter. In fact, in the winter months, your employees are 11x more likely to be in a vehicle accident, 20x more likely to suffer from fatigue, and 6x more likely to suffer from a cardiac arrest while at work. Install bright lighting on outdoor workplace paths, and ask staff for their concerns.

Even before the pandemic hit, workplace-related illnesses like the flu cost employers billions annually in lost productivity – and while the specific hazards vary by location, industry, and the nature of your business activities, threats your employees may face this winter include:

• COVID-19
• Unsafe driving conditions
• Snow shoveling health risks
• Hypothermia and frostbite
• Flu and other seasonal illnesses
• Slip and fall injuries
• Structural stress and damage
• Fire activity
• Power outages

Staff involvement in maintaining winter safety – and reinforcing everybody’s responsibility for safety – makes a healthy working environment and helps you keep a positive safety culture.

For more winter seasonal safety resources, click on any of the links below. Take a no-obligation trial to SafetyNow and make use of the training to reinforce Winter Safety in your workplace.

Winter Safety Resources

Be Wary Of Treacherous Black Ice – Black ice is a natural phenomenon that has sent many drivers skidding and sliding down what looked like a dry road. What we call black ice is sleet rain or melted snow that freezes as a sheet and is not visible as ice. The road looks the same as it always does, which is why it’s so hard to detect…

Holiday Season Safety – We want to see you back at work, safe and sound, after the holiday season. So we are reminding you to be extra careful while you travel, entertain and generally enjoy the holidays.

Layer on Your Cold Weather Clothing – Working outdoors in cold weather is just one of the reasons why people in the oil and gas industry have to be tough….

Layer Up for Warmth – What’s at Stake? – Working in cold weather can have a chilling effect on your body. You are at risk for impaired motor function, impaired judgement and cold stress injuries and illness.

Protect Against Frostbite & Hypothermia Hazards – Working in a cold environment – such as cold weather, cold water or an indoor freezer – can lead to serious injuries, illnesses and death….

Rooftop Snow and Ice Removal: Sled On A Hill, Not Off A Roof – A worker with 35 years of experience was clearing snow and ice off a roof when he slipped and fell. The fall sent him plummeting through a plexi-glass panel to his death four stories below, inside an atrium crowded with shoppers and lunch time visitors…

Snow Cold Outside – Working outside in the cold can be challenging, even for those who are used to doing so. The drop in temperature and increase in wintery weather can put you at risk for injury and illness…..

Spinning Out of Control with Winter Road Hazards – Winter weather can be unpredictable and dangerous. Getting caught in a winter storm can be downright deadly if you aren’t prepared.

Survive the Drive this Winter – Don’t think fate wouldn’t leave you stranded in a vehicle during a snow storm. This happened to school bus driver Carl Miller in Colorado.

Unwrapping a Less Stressful Holiday Season – The holiday season often brings two very unwelcomed guests – stress and depression. With increased demands on your time, your wallet, and your patience it can be hard to enjoy the season with family and friends.

Winter Work Wear: Avoid A Chilly Surprise With the Right Work Wear – An experienced cable layer working in sub-zero weather took warm-up breaks throughout the day and did not sense cold or frostbite in his hands or fingers. Upon returning to his hotel, he removed his boots and discovered a discolored toe…

Working in a Winter Wonderland – Sunlight sparkling off of snow and ice can be quite beautiful. It’s no wonder that some people love working outdoors, even during extreme weather. Unfortunately, you need more than a positive attitude in the bone chilling cold that covers most of North America during the winter months.

Don’t Fall for Winter – In cold weather conditions, people are usually careful to put winter tires on the car and drive according to road conditions, but they don’t always exercise the same caution when walking across snowy, icy or wet surfaces.

Cold Weather Hazards – Dealing with snow and ice removal are the prime hazards for custodian or maintenance workers in winter weather. Also, for those people who get caught up in the snow removal on a HOC basis. Staying safe by using sound work practices in winter conditions, has its challenges.

Shoveling Safe Work Procedure – Shoveling is quite a simple task, but it is important to realize that it places a great deal of stress on the back and shoulders. If done incorrectly, or too much weight is lifted, it can cause chronic (over use) or acute (immediate) injury.

Snow Blower Safety Talk – If you use a snow blower, it is important to recognize that this machine doesn’t make snow removal either effortless or risk-free. While not as strenuous as manual shoveling, using a snow blower remains a physical labour that is done outdoors in the snow and cold.

Snow Removal Safety Talk – People who live in Northern climates are used to dealing the fun and frivolity of snow through sports and outdoor recreational fun. People become acclimated to snow removal whether it is in front of an office building, on a roof, or, on a driveway.

Snow Thrower Safety Talk – A snow thrower is a single-stage machine, meaning it gathers snow and tosses it out a chute in a single motion. The power generated by a horizontal spinning auger picks up the snow while also creating the for that expels snow out of a discharge chute usually a distance of 15-25 feet away.

Survive Hazardous Weather – Weather can affect your safety both on and off the job. Even if you don’t work outside, just getting to and from work in bad weather can be hazardous.

Winter Driving Safety Talk – Driving safely in winter can be a challenge for even the most experienced driver. It’s easy to forget after months of mild conditions that snow and ice demand careful driving and special preparation for your vehicle. 17% of all vehicle crashes occur during winter conditions.

Winter Driving Tips – Winter driving can be hazardous, especially in northern regions that get a lot of snow and ice. Additional preparations can help make a trip safer, or help motorists, Although employers cannot control roadway conditions , they can promote safe driving behavior by ensuring workers:…..

Winter Safety Hazards – The cold weather brings all kind of safety hazards that affect our work and lives away from the jobsite. People living in temperate and for north climates have to deal with all cold weather issues….

8 Tips for Working Safely in Winter – Unless you’re fortunate to live in a climate of perpetual summer, or something close to it, cold winter weather is a chilling reality for millions of people across North America.

Cold Weather Machines – Before you get caught in the winter, winterize your equipment to protect it from damage. Any equipment being stored for the season should be prepared and protected, or it may bit start up again in the spring.

Weathering Winter at Home – Most of us are familiar with winter safety tips for our vehicle. But have given much thought to prepping your home and family for the long cold winter?

Cold Stress Hazards Meeting Kit – Cold weather and environments pose many hazards to employees who work in these conditions. A cold environment forces the body to work harder to maintain its temperature.

Since 1929 we have helped hundreds of thousands of organizations reduce accidents & incidents, lower insurance premiums, increase profits and build safety cultures – now it’s your turn. Here are just some of the amazing partners we work with.