The winter months can be extremely treacherous in certain parts of the world due to cold weather. In fact, according to a study reported in The Construction Index, slip-and-fall accidents can double in frequency during the winter months.
 
The study, conducted in February 2013, involved more than 3,200 job sites. Researchers concluded that rates for job-related slip-and-fall accidents between November and January were as much as 133 percent higher than the previous quarter's totals.
 
Because many of these slip-and-fall accidents are so closely tied to outdoor weather conditions,  Kaivac offers the following ten suggestions to help prevent winter slip-and-fall accidents outdoors:
 
1.       Ensure that an effective snow removal and ice melt program is in place before adverse weather arrives.
2.       Review snow removal and ice melt procedures with custodial crews.
3.       Have plenty of "wet floor" and cautionary signs in stock.
4.       Designate a "weather monitor" to be responsible for monitoring changing weather conditions.
5.       Update certificates of insurance from all vendors.
6.       Remind building users to wear antislip footwear (meaning no leather- or plastic-soled shoes).
7.       Increase the amount and length of matting installed inside the facility to help remove and capture moisture/soil from shoe bottoms.
8.       Thoroughly clean and refinish all first floor hard-surface flooring before cold weather arrives; this prepares the floor for the winter months. The timing of this maintenance is important, as some floor finishes do not adhere properly during cold weather conditions.
9.       Avoid mopping floors, as mops spread soils that can cause a slip-and-fall accident; use spray-and-vac, dispense-and-vac, or spread-and-vac floor care systems instead.
10.     Identify outdoor walkways that tend to become most dangerous when snow and ice are an issue and block them off from pedestrian traffic if possible.