Winter may bring scenes of snow and festive lights, but for facility managers and safety officers, it also brings a spike in hazards that are often overlooked. In particular, slips and falls increase significantly during cold weather months — a risk your organization can’t afford to ignore.
The Big Picture: Why Winter Means Elevated Risk
When surfaces get icy or wet and lighting becomes weaker as daylight fades faster, the chances of someone slipping, tripping or falling go up fast. According to experts, slip, trip and fall incidents account for a major share of workplace injuries — and winter conditions exacerbate that. (ISHN)
For example, insurance-data shows that in winter, roughly 25 % of ice- and snow-related falls happen in parking lots. (SFM Mutual Insurance)
While you stated “Slips and falls rise 25% in winter,” I could not locate that exact figure in the sources — but the sources do show a pronounced uptick in winter-conditions. (You may want to check internal company incident data to see if you hit the “+25 %” locally.)
Hazard Breakdown: What’s Really Going On
Here are some of the main hazards facilities face in winter:
- Ice & snow accumulation on walkways, parking lots, building entry points. Water tracked inside can freeze. (SFM Mutual Insurance)
- Poor lighting as daylight hours shrink and exterior lighting may be dim or blocked. Dark conditions make hazards harder to see. (ISHN)
- Wet floors inside when snow melts or salt is tracked in, creating slippery surfaces. (Concentra)
- Uneven surfaces or hidden hazards (e.g., snow covering curbs, changes in elevation) that are harder to spot in winter. (SFM Mutual Insurance)
- Entrances & transitions (parking lot → sidewalk → building) where conditions change rapidly and carry‐in of snow/wet increases risk. (Concentra)
- Footwear mismatches – employees may wear regular shoes unsuited to winter conditions, reducing traction. (ISHN)
Together these hazards create a “perfect storm” for incidents in facilities during winter months.
Prevention Blueprint: 10 Tips with Servi-Tek’s Maintenance Expertise
Here are ten concrete actions (with the backing of a professional facility-maintenance partner like Servi‑Tek) that can help turn your winter risk profile around:
- Pre-season inspection & planning – Before winter sets in, have your maintenance team inspect all exterior walkways, parking lots, entry points, handrails, stairs and lighting. Identify trouble spots (uneven concrete, drainage issues, known ice build-up zones) and address them proactively.
- Surface treatments & de-icing program – Establish a timely snow/ice removal schedule, keep salt/sand/grit on hand, ensure prompt application after snow or freeze-thaw cycles.
- Clear designated safe walkways – Mark and maintain priority routes (parking to building, main entry, high-traffic areas) and keep them clear of ice, snow, and debris.
- Improve lighting – Review exterior lighting, ensure adequate illumination on all walk paths, stairs and entrances, replace burnt-out bulbs promptly, consider motion lighting for low-traffic areas.
- Mats & entrances inside – Place absorbent mats at building entries, ensure snow/water is removed from shoes before entry, and clean up wet floors promptly.
- Signage & visual cues – Use durable signage (weather-resistant) to warn of slippery conditions, icy patches or transitions; use high-contrast floor markings where elevation changes or hazards exist. (DuraLabel Resources)
- Footwear guidance & employee awareness – Remind or require employees (and visitors) to wear appropriate footwear with slip‐resistant soles. Offer guidance/training on winter walking techniques (e.g., “penguin shuffle” Short steps, focus on footing). (SFM Mutual Insurance)
- Maintenance walk-throughs & monitoring – Have maintenance staff perform periodic winter hazard walk-throughs (especially after storms/thaw cycles) to identify icing, pooling water, worn-out surfaces, blocked drains.
- Employee training & culture building – Educate staff about winter-specific hazards, encourage reporting of icy spots or hazards, make safety part of daily briefings (“What changed since yesterday?”).
- Post-incident review & continuous improvement – If a slip/trip/fall occurs, conduct a root‐cause review (weather, equipment, surface, signage, lighting) and feed insights back into your seasonal maintenance plan.
By partnering with a capable maintenance firm like Servi-Tek, you can ensure these tasks are properly scheduled, documented and executed — moving beyond reactive fixes to proactive prevention.
Thought: Safety Isn’t Compliance – It’s Culture
Complying with regulations (e.g., the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) walking/working surfaces standard) is necessary — but not sufficient. (osha.com)
True safety in winter means building a culture where employees recognize that every surface change, every season shift, every thaw-freeze cycle is an opportunity to spot and mitigate risk.
When safety becomes part of your everyday conversation — not just a checklist item — you’ll see a measurable reduction in incidents, and your team will move from reacting to preventing.
