Winter is a favorite season for many. Holiday celebrations and cold weather sports enjoy wide appeal. Unfortunately, cold temperatures and frozen precipitation can also result in pain and suffering, property damage and lawsuits. From slips and falls to motor vehicle accidents to frozen pipes, year on year DVT sees a predictable pattern of seasonal claims. Thankfully, a majority of these incidents are preventable with situational awareness and prudent practices. What follows is a collection of prevention tips to hopefully disrupt those pesky winter loss patterns.

 Manage Surfaces

• After a frozen precipitation event, facility staff should clear snow and ice and apply deicing materials well in advance of others arriving to the workplace. Consider a delayed opening to allow adequate time for snow and ice control. It is also important to check conditions throughout the day as surface conditions may deteriorate over time.
• Wear footwear appropriate for environmental conditions. Winter precipitation-appropriate shoes and boots feature large grip surfaces and deep cleats. Better yet, consider wearing “shoe chains” or equivalent products – basically anti-slip PPE for your feet. If you feel compelled to don stilettos at work, maybe carry them and opt for more sensible winter boots for the commute.

Working in Extreme Low Temps

• Wear several layers of loose-fitting clothing to trap heat and allow you to shed layers to “tune” your thermal comfort. Use a hat, gloves, and scarf to keep exposed extremities warm.
• Change clothes that become wet. Wet clothing increases the risk of hypothermia.
• Monitor your skin for signs of frostbite, such as numbness, tingling, or pain. Seek medical attention for frozen areas.
• Pace yourself. Strenuously exertion while in low temperatures can cause increased cardiovascular stress. Make sure you are healthy enough to take on that large snow pile. Also, bend at the knees when lifting heavy snow to avoid a potential low back injury.

Driving on Snow and Ice

• Avoid or delay driving during winter precipitation events if feasible. Wait until road crews clear and salt the roads before venturing out.
• Ensure you have the right tires on your vehicle. Manufacturers recommend all-season tires with more than half-tread depth (~5/32”). When it comes to winter driving, the deeper the tire tread the better.
• Take the time to clear snow from your vehicle’s roof and windows so that you have an unobstructed view before driving off.
• Reduce speed and increase your following distance to other vehicles to 5-6 seconds. This ensures that you have adequate time to react and slow or stop your vehicle on a slick, low-friction roadway.
• Replenish windshield washer fluid frequently so that you can clean your windshield of accumulated spray and slush.
• Keep a car snow shovel and snow/ice brush in your vehicle trunk for unexpected situations.

Protect Property Assets

• Drain, insulate or heat trace exposed pipes to prevent them from freezing and potentially bursting. In a pinch, allowing a faucet to trickle until temperatures warm can prevent exposed pipes from freezing.
• Clear gutters of leaves to encourage melt water to drain and prevent back-ups and refreezing (“ice-damming”). Poor melt water drainage can potentially cause pooling and infiltration into the building. Ceiling and wall leaks may result.
• Consider acquiring a long-handled snow roof rake to remove heavy snow load from accessible roofs. If the rake is made of conductive materials, be sure to maintain at least 10 feet clearance from energized power lines.
• If you rely on oil, gas or wood burning heat systems, install carbon monoxide detectors in utility spaces and outside sleeping quarters to alert occupants to combustion system leaks. Of course, always have a working smoke detector to alert occupants to incipient fires.

Prepare for Bugout

• Have a contingency plan in the event the power and heat goes out or other emergency develops which makes your primary home unhabitable. Consider an emergency power system and compatible means of generating heat.
• Know where you would go in the event you can no longer stay in your home. Know the location of your local emergency shelter.
• Ensure you have at least a half-tank of fuel in your “escape” vehicle.
• Finally, prepare a FEMA “go bag” with essential supplies such as critical medicine, cell phone charger and identity documents.

By following these basic winter survival tips, you can optimize your enjoyment of the season and avoid creating bad memories at this magical time of year.