Winter Hazards

The arrival of winter brings with it a new set of safety challenges that employers must address to keep their employees accident- and injury-free.

Although the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) does not have a specific standard that covers working in cold environments, under the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH Act) of 1970, employers have a duty to protect workers from recognized hazards — including winter-related hazards — that are causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm in the workplace.

Anyone working in a cold environment is at risk of cold stress. But there are other dangers that workers may face during the wintertime. To keep your employees safe when temperatures fall, training should focus on the following:

• How to recognize, treat and prevent cold stress
• Strategies to reduce slips, trips and falls on slippery surfaces
• Safe driving techniques for snowy and icy road conditions
• Environmental awareness, especially when working in the presence of ice and snow