Slips on Ice and Snow: Winter Slip and Fall Safety Talk

A winter slip and fall safety talk prepares your crew for the mornings when the parking lot, the trailer steps and the deck are coated with frost, snow or ice you can't see. Cover five things: why ice and snow change how you have to walk, what the site does to clear and treat walkways, the right boots and traction aids, how to walk, climb and get out of vehicles on slick surfaces, and how to report a hazard before someone goes down. A ready-to-read script is below.

If you want the year-round version that covers wet floors, clutter, cords and uneven ground, use the Slips, Trips and Falls Safety Talk. This talk is the winter follow-up.

Why ice and snow deserve their own talk

Most slip-and-fall talks are about things a crew can see and pick up: a spill, a hose across the walkway, a pile of offcuts. Winter is different because the hazard covers everything at once, it changes hour to hour, and the worst of it (black ice, frost on steel, ice under fresh snow) is hard to see.

OSHA's walking-working surfaces rule for general industry says employers must keep walking-working surfaces free of hazards such as sharp or protruding objects, loose boards, corrosion, leaks, spills, snow, and ice (29 CFR 1910.22(a)(3)). The same rule says surfaces are to be inspected regularly and as necessary, and that hazardous conditions are corrected before anyone uses the surface again, or guarded off until they are.

On construction sites, OSHA's stairway rule is just as direct: slippery conditions on stairways shall be eliminated before the stairways are used to reach other levels (29 CFR 1926.1052(a)(7)). And the construction housekeeping rule requires scrap and debris to be kept cleared from work areas, passageways, and stairs (29 CFR 1926.25(a)). Snow hides that debris, which is why winter housekeeping matters even more.

Where winter slips happen on a typical job

Walk the site with the crew in mind and you'll find the same spots every winter:

Parking areas and the walk in from the truck. The first and last steps of the day, often in the dark.
Getting in and out of trucks and equipment. Icy steps, grab handles and running boards.
Trailer, office and stair steps. Frost forms on metal treads and wooden steps first.
Building entrances. Meltwater tracked inside turns a dry floor into a wet one.
Shaded areas, north sides and spots under drips. Ice lasts longer and refreezes overnight.
Decks, roofs, steel and scaffold planks. Frost and thin ice on surfaces at height turn a slip into a fall. Snow can also hide skylights, openings and edges.
Ramps, slopes and uneven ground. Ruts frozen solid, snow over holes and loose material.

What the site does: clear, treat, mark

OSHA's winter guidance says that to prevent slips, trips and falls, employers should clear walking surfaces of snow and ice, and spread deicer, as quickly as possible after a winter storm. Turn that into a plan the crew knows:

Assign it. Name who clears and treats the main paths, stairs, entrances and parking each morning before the crew arrives, and again after any new snow, freezing rain or refreeze.
Pick the main paths and keep them clear. It's easier to keep three good routes clear than to treat the whole site. Close shortcuts across untreated ground.
Treat steps and stairs first. Clear and salt or sand stairs, trailer steps and landings before anyone uses them.
Check again in the afternoon. Melt during the day often refreezes as the sun goes down.
Mark or block what you can't fix yet. Cone off or barricade icy areas until they are treated, the same way you would guard any surface hazard.
Manage meltwater indoors. Put mats at entrances and keep a mop and wet floor signs handy. See Housekeeping and Slip Prevention.
Keep the lights working. Short winter days mean people arrive and leave in the dark. Light the walking routes so ice is visible.

What each worker does: boots, traction, walking

Footwear. OSHA says that when walking on snow or ice is unavoidable, insulated, water-resistant boots with good rubber treads are a must. Check your tread. Worn soles lose grip fast on ice.

Traction aids. Slip-on cleats or ice grips can help on packed snow and ice outside. Take them off before walking on smooth hard floors, steel, ladder rungs or stairs indoors, where metal studs can make you slip, and follow your site's rules on where they're allowed.

The short-step walk. OSHA's advice is to take short steps and walk at a slower pace so you can react quickly to a change in traction. Crews sometimes call it the penguin walk:

Point your feet slightly out and keep your weight over your front foot.
Bend your knees a little and keep your center of gravity low.
Keep your hands out of your pockets so you can catch yourself.
Don't carry loads that block your view of your feet. Make two trips or use a cart on a cleared path.
Assume wet-looking pavement is ice, especially early in the morning, on bridges and in shade.

Stairs, ladders and vehicles: three points of contact

Many of the worst winter falls happen climbing, not walking.

Stairs: clear and treat them before use, and always use the handrail.
Ladders: check the feet and the base for ice before you set up, clear snow and mud off your boots before climbing, and keep three points of contact. See Ladder Safety: Three Points of Contact.
Trucks and equipment: face the machine, use the grab handles and steps, and keep three points of contact getting in and out. Never jump down onto ice.

Snow and ice at height

Ice on a roof, deck or scaffold doesn't just cause a slip, it can cause a fall to a lower level. OSHA notes that layers of ice can form as the temperature drops, making surfaces even more slippery, and that snow-covered rooftops can hide hazards such as skylights that workers can fall through. A surface weighed down by snow should be inspected by a competent person before anyone goes on it.

Before work at height on a winter morning, clear and check the walking surface, look for hidden openings and edges, and make sure the fall protection plan still works in the conditions. Review the basics in Fall Protection Fundamentals.

Ready-to-read winter slip and fall safety talk (about 5 minutes)

"Morning. Today's talk is about slips and falls on ice and snow. When the weather turns, the most likely way any of us gets hurt isn't a power tool or a machine. It's slipping in the parking lot, on the trailer steps, or climbing out of a truck.

Ice is hard to see. Black ice looks like wet pavement. Frost forms on steel and wooden steps first. And snow hides holes, cords, scrap and edges. So today we treat every shiny or wet-looking surface like it's ice.

Here's what the site is doing. [Name] clears and salts the main paths, the stairs and the entrances before we start, and again after lunch. The paths we use are [___]. If a path isn't cleared, don't use it, and don't cut across untreated ground. If you see ice that hasn't been treated, cone it off if you can and tell me right away.

Here's what you do. Wear boots with good tread. If your soles are worn smooth, tell me. If you use ice cleats outside, take them off before you walk on steel, ladders or smooth floors inside.

Walk like a penguin. Short steps, slow down, feet a little out, knees a little bent, weight over your front foot. Hands out of your pockets. If you're carrying something, make sure you can still see your feet, or make two trips.

Three points of contact getting in and out of trucks and equipment, and on ladders. Face the machine. Don't jump down. Check the base of a ladder for ice before you set it up, and knock the snow off your boots before you climb.

If you're working on the roof, the deck or the scaffold today, we clear it and check it before anyone walks on it, and we look for openings hidden under snow.

Inside, wipe your feet on the mats. If you see water on the floor, mop it or put a sign out.

Questions? Where have you almost slipped on this site? Let's fix those spots today."

Discussion questions

Where on this site have you slipped or almost slipped this season?
Which steps, stairs or ramps freeze first in the morning, and who is treating them?
What would you do if you found an icy path no one has treated yet?
Whose boots are due for replacement before the next storm?
How do we get in and out of the equipment we use today with three points of contact?

Common mistakes

Treating only after a storm. Refreezing overnight and freezing drizzle create ice without any snow.
Rushing the first and last steps of the day. Parking lots in the dark are where a lot of winter falls happen.
Hands in pockets. You can't catch yourself and you fall harder.
Wearing cleats indoors or on ladders. Metal studs on smooth surfaces can make you slip.
Jumping down from trucks and equipment. Landing on ice is how ankles, wrists and backs get hurt.
Ignoring meltwater inside. A wet entrance floor causes slips long after the snow has stopped.

Pair this talk with

FAQs

What should a winter slips, trips and falls safety talk cover? Where ice and snow build up on your site, who clears and treats walkways, stairs and entrances and when, the right boots and traction aids, how to walk on slick surfaces with short slow steps, three points of contact on ladders and vehicles, and how to report or block off an untreated hazard.

Does OSHA require employers to clear snow and ice? OSHA's general industry walking-working surfaces rule (29 CFR 1910.22) says employers must keep walking-working surfaces free of hazards including snow and ice, and correct or guard hazardous conditions before employees use the surface. For construction, 29 CFR 1926.1052 says slippery conditions on stairways must be eliminated before the stairs are used. OSHA's winter weather guidance also says to clear snow and ice and spread deicer as quickly as possible after a storm.

How should you walk on ice at work? OSHA recommends short steps and a slower pace so you can react to a change in traction. Keep your knees slightly bent, your weight over your front foot and your hands out of your pockets, and don't carry loads that block your view of where you're stepping.

Are ice cleats safe to wear on a job site? They can help on packed snow and ice outdoors, but take them off before walking on smooth floors, steel, stairs or ladder rungs, where metal studs can slip. Follow your site's rules on where traction aids are allowed.

How often should walkways be checked in winter? Check and treat main walkways, stairs and entrances before the crew arrives, after any new snow, sleet or freezing rain, and again in the afternoon when daytime melt can refreeze. OSHA's rule is to inspect walking-working surfaces regularly and as necessary.

Sources: OSHA 29 CFR 1910.22, Walking-Working Surfaces: General requirements; OSHA 29 CFR 1926.1052, Stairways; OSHA 29 CFR 1926.25, Housekeeping; OSHA Winter Weather: Hazards and Precautions.

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