Winter Slips and Falls – Best Practices in Avoidance

Written By: Alex Rudie

The winter season welcomes in many aspects: the holidays, gingerbread, winter-themed coffee drinks, and, depending on where you live, snow and ice. However, snow and ice bring their own less welcoming associations with them. While playing in the snow can be fun, it can also bring with it a set of dangers. As a business owner, it is important to be aware of these dangers and take preventative measures.

According to a study done by the CDC, over 800,000 people experience slip and fall injuries every year, resulting in $50 billion in costs. SFM claims data show that 25% of ice and snow-related falls occur in parking lots, and 20% of slips and falls that occur in parking lots result in lost time from work. SFM estimates the average winter slip-and-fall lost time claims are between $40,000 and $45,000. The costs of injury mount quickly and shouldn’t be ignored.

So, how do you prevent slip and fall injuries?

Slip and Fall Assessments

First, schedule and perform a slip and fall assessment. This assessment should be scheduled before weather changes and should be performed and reviewed at regular intervals. All areas of your facility should be reviewed for how they could be affected. Your assessment should identify problem areas in and around your business.

Inside, these commonly include areas such as:

• stairs
• floors
• entryways

Outside areas may include:

• sidewalks
• parking lots
• snow pile-up between vehicles
• areas of ice and snow build up

Corrective Actions

Once your assessment has been performed, it’s time to create corrective actions for any outlined problems. These actions should have specific deadlines outlined with someone placed as lead to ensure they are corrected. Some easy ways to help reduce slips and falls include:

• Education
• Training all employees in appropriate behavior
• Creating awareness campaigns
• Encouraging use of appropriate footwear
• Asking for help (i.e. not carrying large loads out to your car)
• Keeping staff and customers aware of weather conditions
• Informing maintenance about problem areas as soon as they are identified
• Creating accountability groups/teams to monitor and award “points” for appropriate behavior
• Acknowledging people/teams for doing well and performing preventative actions. At the end of the season, month, etc., the team with most points wins a prize.

Signage is also an important part of reducing slips and falls. The signage should:

• Be updated regularly
• Be placed in high-traffic areas (in breakroom areas, near entry and exit doors, on wet floors, or other high-risk office spaces)
• Placed outside (on sidewalks, doors, or in the parking lot)

Education and training are easy methods to reduce slips and falls. Training should cover topics such as:

• Winter slip and falls statistics
• Common and severe injuries from falls
• Main causes of winter slips and falls
• Best practices
• How staff can report issues they observe
• Ask people what obstacles they see to performing best practices

Good maintenance is also key. Maintenance should be performed regularly including snow removal from parking lots, sidewalks, and other important outdoor areas. Sidewalk cleanup should also be a focus. However, this aspect doesn’t need to be left to maintenance crews only. You can keep a large bucket of salt near exits for employees to use as need arises. Indoor areas should also be maintained. Keeping floors clear of excess water, straightening entry matts that are askew, and properly storing maintenance equipment have their own role to play.

Weather can put employees at risk, but as an employer you don’t need to stand passively by. Simple education and training can help keep your employees (and customers) safe and help protect your business from potential lawsuits and lost funds. Get started today and help protect your employees and protect yourself. 

Works Cited:

1. Gebhard, A., Clausen, J., Gruber, C., and Johnson, N. “Avoiding Winter Slips & Falls Winter safety tips for SFM policyholders.” sfmic.com, 29 Sep. 2021, Source Link.
2. Gebhard, A., Avoiding Winter Slips & Falls Winter safety tips for SFM policyholders.” Avoiding Winter Slips and Falls 2021 Webinar, Online. Powerpoint Presentation.