Risk Management

Winter Wonderland - Slips & Trips

It shouldn't come as a surprise that slip and trip accidents peak in the autumn and winter. So it might be worthwhile considering the hazards arising from snowy or frosty weather and seeing if anything needs to be done to manage the risks involved.

Winds blow leaves which collect in gutters and downpours causing flooding risks. However, ice and snow always present significant hazards of slips, trips and falls or wet floors but there are a number of really useful actions that will reduce the risk:

• Identify - Try to identify where snow or ice might cause problems. Consider walkways, sloping areas, known "frost pockets" and places where water or moisture accumulates and makes the formation of ice more likely. Don't forget to consider "shortcuts" used by employees - these tend to become more attractive during bad weather because they often reduce the time taken to get from the car or main entrance to the building or workplace.
• Monitor - Keep an eye on the weather or, better still, use helplines or visit websites such as the Met Office, BBC Weather or the Highways Agency. Being ahead of the game, being prepared in advance is half the battle - prevention is better than cure so gritting before the ice forms is preferred. Entrance halls with polished floors present slippery risks for employees - especially in high heels.
• Plan - Have a procedure in place, assign responsibility to selected people - and make sure they know what they have to do if bad weather is expected.
• Implement - Make sure you have sufficient supplies of grit or salt and have the means for spreading it where required. Alternatively, set up diversions to direct people to safer routes. But remember to remove cones and signs after the snow or ice has melted - otherwise the warnings quickly become part of the background and will not have the desired effect when snow falls again.

May 2007