Slip, trip and fall incidents are the leading cause of workplace accidents. An analysis of EMC's claims data shows the cost of treating these injuries averages over $13,000, with nearly half of these incidents occurring between December and March. Winter-related slip and fall injuries include fractures, bruises, strains and traumatic brain injuries. While ensuring walking surface safety is crucial year-round, it demands extra care during winter months.
Achieving a perfectly dry walking surface in the winter months may be challenging, but a well-executed winter slip and fall prevention program, coupled with thorough documentation of your efforts, can significantly reduce risks and help avoid negligence.
Plan for Snow and Ice Maintenance
Before the first snowfall, determine whether snow and ice maintenance will be self-performed or contracted.
Self-Performed Snow and Ice Maintenance
- Follow Best Practices: Ensure adherence to standard industry best practices
- Snow and Ice Plan: Develop and implement a written snow and ice management plan
- Equipment Readiness: Service snow blowers and snowplows in advance for prompt use
- Power Brush Consideration: Explore the use of a power brush for efficient snow removal, leaving a cleaner surface
- Effective Maintenance Strategy: Prioritize mechanical removal, followed by ice melt and abrasives as needed; pre-applying liquid brine before a storm can prevent ice and snow bonding
- Inventory Preparation: Create an inventory of snow and ice maintenance products (shovels, sand, ice melt and winter footwear)
- Documentation: Thoroughly document all snow and ice maintenance efforts.
- Certifications for Maintenance Personnel: Consider obtaining snow removal certifications for those involved in snow and ice maintenance
Hiring a Qualified Snow and Ice Contractor
- Qualifications: Look for contractors with industry certifications (Certified Snow Professional (CSP) or Accredited Snow Contractors Association (ASCA) and/or ISO SN9001/SN9001)
- Multiple proposals: Obtain proposals from several contractors to ensure service needs are met
- Written plan and documentation: Require a written snow and ice management plan, including documented maintenance
- Referrals and Quality Work: Seek referrals or evidence of quality work by the contractor
- Legal review: Have an attorney review any contract to avoid accepting responsibility for the contractor’s negligence
- Have a backup contractor ready: Ensure there’s a backup snow and ice management contractor on stand by
Define the Contract Terms
- Clearly define depth and weather triggers, timing of service, specific areas covered, snow piling locations, use of ice control products, who’s responsible for thawing and refreeze follow-up and service exclusions (e.g., removing snow from gutters and roofs.)
- Avoid theses phrases and terms in your contract:
- Keep the premises free of snow and ice
- Ensure that driveways and walkways will be clear
- Snow removal
- De-icing
Create a Written Snow and Ice Management Plan
- Responsibilities and lease agreement: Clearly list contractor or in-house staff responsibilities for snow and ice maintenance; specify tenant and owner responsibilities if you have a lease agreement
- Personnel assignments: Assign personnel to monitor weather and outdoor walking surfaces
- Determine a frequency for inspecting walking surfaces
- Plan for the handling of snow piles along sidewalks or driveways created by city snowplows when plowing streets
- Premises diagram: Diagram the premises to identify areas for maintenance
- Identify snow pile placement
- Indicate islands, posts and hydrants to be avoided and kept accessible
- Large storm plan: Have a plan for snow haul-off from large storms
Maintain Documentation
Part of a comprehensive snow and ice management program is written documentation of maintenance activities. Simplify this process with a snow and ice maintenance checklist, ensuring thorough documentation that includes:
- Location
- Date
- Time service started and ended
- Conditions (e.g., clear, inches of snow, drifting, temperature, overcast with sleet or snow)
- Services performed (shoveling, snow blowing, sweeping, salting, sanding, application of liquid brine)
- Type and amount of surface treatments applied
- Photos or video of work completed with time stamp and geo-tag
Depending on the size of your organization, the responsibility for implementing the snow and ice management program may be centralized, but each site should identify a person responsible for executing the plan for their location. For leased buildings, review the terms of your lease agreement and contact the property manager to discuss snow and ice management responsibilities.