Winter is near, bringing with it snow and ice that can make for some tricky conditions. Slick tile, wet carpet, and ice and snow on the parking lot and sidewalks all create extra risk. Without regular attention to keeping walking surfaces clear and dry, those hazards can lead to serious injury for employees and visitors alike.
Entry Areas
Entrances and lobbies have a significant pattern of slips and falls in the winter and need double the attention they get the rest of the year. Surfaces such as polished stone, tile, and vinyl are more slippery than sidewalks when wet, so conspicuous ‘CAUTION’ or ‘WET FLOOR’ signage should be posted in those areas.
Lay durable “walk-off” mats (rubber-backed carpets that trap water and debris) at every entrance during periods of rain or snow. They can be easily removed and cleaned as water, dirt, and mud accumulate. It does no good to replace a slip hazard with a tripping hazard, so monitor walk-off mats for frays, tears, or wrinkles and ensure that edges and corners lie flat.
Snow and Ice Removal
Designate someone in your organization to monitor the weather forecast so your team can begin clearing snow before visitors or other employees arrive. All walking surfaces should be inspected regularly for snow accumulation and monitored for black ice or refreezing of the previous day’s snowmelt. By doing this regularly and systematically, you may recognize areas that need more frequent attention. Block off walking areas under roof overhangs if falling snow from the roof could be a hazard.
Document the date and times of your shoveling, visual checks, and general conditions on a ‘Snow Removal Log.’ While it will ideally be unnecessary, that record of your responsiveness to conditions can help provide a defense in the event of any legal action following an incident or injury.
Control the Snow Flow
Take a long, careful look at your parking lot. From different vantage points on the lot, judge where water from melting snow would flow and freeze. Are there areas where, because of slope or other impairments, the drainage would accumulate? Snow piles should be positioned where they will not drain onto large portions of the parking lot, street, or sidewalk, or create an “ice-dam” allowing large pools to form and freeze. This will likely be near the lowest elevation of the lot and near—but not on top of—drains. Use care to keep curb openings and catch basins free of accumulation to allow continuous drainage. Pushing snow onto grassy areas may prevent the accumulation of water and ice on the pavement. Areas where ice may be unavoidable should be blocked off to the public.
If you use an outside contractor for snow removal, insist that you meet and plan snow piles together before the first storm. The spot where they pile snow with the first snowfall is likely the spot they’ll use all winter, so designate and clearly mark the parking spaces set aside for snow piles. Keep snow piles away from the building’s entrances and walkways, and away from hydrants or fire department connections. Avoid making snowbanks that block ATMs, fire exit doors, or bus stop access. Snow piles should be placed where they will not obstruct drivers’ views at intersections.
Finally, don’t let downspouts direct roof drainage across walkways. When inadequate drainage could lead to ice forming on walkways, those areas should get attention early and safety cones should be put out to give notice to pedestrians.
Personal Health and Safety
Shoveling snow can be as hazardous as the snow and ice itself. Take care to avoid injury from exposure, overexertion, poor body mechanics, and falls. Remember these basics:
- Treat snow shoveling as you would any other physical exercise. Stretch your legs, back, and shoulders before you start. Pace your shoveling; start slowly and ramp up as your body warms up.
- Dress for the job. If you overdress, you will soon be wet with perspiration, making you colder. Wear loose-fitting layers that you can peel off as you heat up. And remember: boots with slick soles are worse than no boots at all. Consider slipping on some ice cleats for extra slip-resistant traction.
- Focus on good body mechanics. Hold the snow shovel close to your upper body. Use your legs to lift, keep your back straight as you move from the squat position to an upright position, and avoid twisting your upper body.
- Stay hydrated. It’s just as important in the winter as it is in the summer.
- Rest as you need it. You may lift hundreds or even thousands of pounds of snow with each snowfall. Remember: fatigue leads to injury.
- Work smarter, not harder. Don’t move snow twice, and move it the shortest distance possible. Know where you will be moving the snow to and plan your shoveling pattern beforehand.
- Thorough doesn’t always mean more work. On a sunny day, clear an area, spread deicer if necessary, and let the sun do the rest. Surfaces exposed in shoveling will be less reflective than the blanket of snow; any remaining snow on those darker surfaces will warm and melt more easily.
- Go easy on the deicer. Once the area is clear, all you need is a thin scattering to keep it that way. If you’re scattering by hand, throw the pellets low along the ground so they bounce and roll into a uniform layer.
- Maintain your equipment. Keep the leading edge of the snow shovel straight and flat. Secure or replace a loose or splintered shovel handle.
Snowblowers
Every winter, thousands of people suffer serious hand and finger injuries due to careless handling of snowblowers. Only authorized personnel should be allowed to operate snowblowers, and those operators should have safety training specific to that task and equipment. There are basic precautions they should always keep in mind.
- Remove or mark obstructions before snowfall to avoid damaging equipment or launching projectiles from the discharge chute.
- Never start a snowblower inside a garage or shed. Dangerous carbon monoxide will accumulate quickly.
- Direct the snowblower’s discharge away from people, traffic, windows, parked cars, and drain openings.
- Keep all shields and guards in place as designed.
- Wear hearing protection and anti-fogging eye protection. A loud engine can cause cumulative damage to your hearing, and debris thrown up with the snow can hit your eyes
Deicing
Snowpack and ice build-up can occur before walkways have been cleared of new snow. Attempting to remove ice and dense snowpack by force alone can lead to unnecessary fatigue and injuries, as well as damage to asphalt or concrete walks. The best solution for those conditions may be a chemical deicer.
Deicing does not eliminate shoveling. Deicers are only meant to break the bond between the ice and the walking surface below to facilitate removal. It is not intended to melt all the ice and leave the walkway clear. Melting every bit of ice and snow on walkways and pavement is not practical, requires too much deicer, and can be harmful to people, pets, vegetation, and metal fixtures.
The sooner the deicer is applied, the more effective the removal will be. Whenever possible, apply it as the snow or ice starts. Use only enough deicer to break the ice/pavement bond. A thin layer of pellets is more effective, prevents uneven distribution and build-up, and reduces seasonal costs. There is a variety of deicers available, and there are significant differences.
Sodium Chloride (rock salt) is comparatively inexpensive, but is only effective down to approximately 15°F. It is damaging to concrete and plants and unhealthy for pets. Potassium Chloride works similarly to rock salt but is a less toxic option.
Calcium Chloride is, in general use, the best choice. Calcium chloride:
- Works at lower temperatures, down to -20°F
- Has an exothermic reaction with moisture, creating heat, so it goes to solution quicker, dissolving ice more aggressively
- Uses less material, melts more ice, and its residue has a longer-lasting effect than other deicers
- Is less toxic, the least harmful to surfaces, and even beneficial to soil
- Leaves little or no white staining, like sodium chloride or potassium chloride do
Simple alternatives include sand or kitty litter—but use these with caution. Sand provides some friction (until the next freeze), but doesn’t actually melt ice and could create its own slip hazard when it dries. When kitty litter gets saturated, it turns slippery and is a mess to clean up.
