“Preparation beats prediction. Winter safety is won before the first frost.”

Winter brings a predictable mix of risks—icy walkways, poor visibility, cold-stressed workers, battery-sensitive equipment, and longer commutes. In many regions, weather-related incidents spike through December–January; road crashes during winter conditions are a major contributor in global stats. This mini-guide turns planning into action with practical safety tips your team can apply before temperatures drop and throughout the season.

Before you apply any safety tip, decide who owns each task, how you’ll verify completion, and what you’ll do when conditions change mid-shift. That clarity is what turns policy into protection.

1) Prevent slips, trips, and falls on ice

This safety tip focuses on eliminating the most common winter injury pattern: underfoot hazards.

• Map risk zones: entrances, ramps, stairs, canopies, loading bays, fuel points, bus stops, and pedestrian crossings.
• Pre-treat, don’t just react: apply brine/salt/grit before a freeze; re-apply after snow or heavy foot traffic.
• Upgrade walking surfaces: deploy absorbent entrance mats, anti-slip treads on stairs, and temporary traction boards where needed.
• Close the loop: log de-icing rounds with time, product used, and photos; post “wet/icy floor” placards and remove promptly when dry.
• Footwear: require winter-rated soles; keep a stock of traction aids for visitors/contractors.

2) Keep your people warm, visible, and comfortable (winter PPE)

This safety tip focuses on layering and comfort—because cold, damp, or fogged-up gear leads to shortcuts.

• Layering: moisture-wicking base, insulating mid-layer, wind/water-resistant outer; avoid cotton for base layers.
• Hands/face: insulated, task-appropriate gloves; balaclavas or face shields for wind; anti-fog eyewear for temperature transitions.
• Feet: insulated, slip-resistant boots; dry-out racks or spare pairs for multi-shift sites.
• Hi-viz + lighting: shorter daylight means add reflective stripes and task lighting; check headlamp batteries at shift start.
• Fit & comfort: rotate glove and boot models if complaints persist; comfort drives compliance.

3) Plan snow and ice removal like a critical job

This safety tip focuses on turning “who’s shoveling?” into a defined operation.

• Assign a snow team with clear roles, coverage, and call-out criteria (by forecast, not just accumulation).
• Tooling & supplies: shovels, ice chippers, snow blowers, salt/brine, sand, spare shear pins, fuel.
• Roof and canopy loads: define red-lines for structural snow loads; engage trained contractors for elevated work, with fall protection and buddy systems.
• Vehicle zones: designate snow stockpiles that won’t block sightlines or hydrants; maintain emergency access lanes.
• Ergonomics: warm-up stretches, light loads, frequent breaks, rotate tasks to reduce strain.

4) Manage winter driving risks (fleet and commuters)

This safety tip focuses on policies that prevent predictable incidents on the road.

• Policy: postpone non-essential travel during active storms; allow remote/shift flexibility to avoid peak hazards.
• Vehicle readiness: winter tires where appropriate, functional wipers/defrosters, topped-up washer fluid, charged batteries, and emergency kits (blanket, flares/triangles, shovel).
• Speed & spacing: reinforce longer stopping distances and no-cruise-control on slick roads.
• Spot checks: pre-trip inspections documented with photos; supervisors conduct random lot-checks for tire condition.
• Post-incident protocol: near-miss reporting for skids and close calls, not just collisions—learn early, act early.

5) Harden your facility for cold snaps

This safety tip focuses on equipment and infrastructure that quietly fail in low temperatures.

• Heating: service boilers/space heaters; prohibit improvised heaters; keep combustibles clear.
• Pipes & process lines: insulate and heat-trace exposures; set freeze-protection setpoints and alarms; drain idle lines.
• Air & ventilation: prevent intake icing; verify make-up air for fuel-burning equipment to avoid CO buildup.
• Power reliability: test generators under load; prioritize critical circuits; maintain fuel stock and start batteries.
• Sensors & batteries: cold saps charge—stock spares for radios, scanners, sensors, and headlamps; tighten battery-swap schedules.

6) Prepare for storms and extended outages

This safety tip focuses on readiness when services go down and visibility drops.

• All-hands plan: weather monitoring roles, decision thresholds, shelter-in-place vs. release, headcount and communication protocols.
• Comms: multi-channel alerts (SMS/WhatsApp/email/PA); pre-write storm templates to save time.
• Shelter & supplies: heated spaces, blankets, potable water, shelf-stable food, flashlights, first aid, spare PPE.
• Evacuation routes: mark and light winter-appropriate paths; keep exits free of snow and ice.
• Health checks: build in warm-up breaks; teach signs of hypothermia/frostbite; pair new workers with winter-experienced buddies.

7) Adjust work planning, permits, and training for winter

This safety tip focuses on decision-making: winter changes the risk profile of everyday tasks.

• Job hazard analyses (JHAs): add cold-specific factors (wind chill, ice, condensation, brittle materials, limited daylight).
• Permits: for hot work near de-icers or fuel storage, confined spaces with altered ventilation, and elevated work with icy anchors—add winter precautions.
• Fatigue & scheduling: shorten outdoor exposures; add recovery breaks; stagger start times to miss ice-blackout hours.
• Contractors: require winter briefings and gear checks; hold them to the same controls as employees.
• Toolbox cadence: daily micro-briefs focused on “today’s conditions” keep attention sharp.

Quick checklist to reinforce habits

Use this quick set of safety tips to close each shift:

• De-icing rounds logged? Entrances, stairs, ramps, crossings checked?
• Wet-floor and “icy” placards placed and removed?
• Winter PPE dry and ready for next shift?
• Vehicle pre-trip inspections complete with photos?
• Heaters clear, emergency lighting tested, exits unobstructed?
• Forecast reviewed and tasks adjusted for tomorrow?

Train, communicate, and measure

Turn every safety tip into a 60-second toolbox talk. Share photos of good controls, not just warnings about bad outcomes. Track leading indicators: timely de-icing, completion of winter JHAs, PPE availability, and near-miss reporting. When you measure the behaviors that prevent injuries, your lagging indicators (incidents) naturally improve over the season.

Conclusion: Make winter readiness routine

One final safety tip: treat winter like a long, moving project. Risks shift by the hour—temperature swings, refreeze after sun, surprise gusts, early sunsets—so your controls should shift just as quickly. When you plan early, act fast, verify often, and learn out loud, you protect people, productivity, and reputation all at once.

How OQSHA helps (subtle but solid support)

• Mobile inspections: schedule and log de-icing rounds with geo-tagged photos and due-by times.
• Permit-to-Work: winter addenda for hot work, work at height, and confined spaces—baked into approvals.
• Action Tracker (CAPA): assign slip-hazard fixes, set SLAs, auto-remind, and verify with evidence before closure.
• Training & toolbox: track winter briefings, PPE fit-checks, and re-training dates.
• Alerts & analytics: push storm notifications; monitor leading indicators like on-time de-icing and winter JHAs; trend near-miss hotspots on site maps.

Ready to make cold weather safer—without slowing work to a crawl? Book a quick walkthrough of OQSHA’s winter-readiness toolkit and see how your teams can stay ahead of ice, outages, and overtime.