ICE CLEAT BLOG

I once had a conversation with a safety director from a large international company. He told me about how they used to have a lot of slip and falls due to ice and snow. And when they investigated ways to reduce winter slip and fall accidents, they concluded it was time to invest in ice cleats. He went on to describe how they did their research, testing, due diligence, etc. and ended up buying what they believed was the best ice cleat at the time. (Full disclosure: This isn’t an ice cleat my company manufactures.)

It’s not as difficult as you may think to reduce – and even eliminate – winter slips and falls on ice and snow. In fact, here are three ways to reduce accidents: 1. Eliminate The Act of Walking on Compromised Surfaces Think about all of the slip and fall accidents and slip hazard jobs that happened in your organization last winter while working outdoors and indoors. If you can eliminate walking in those areas, all of those accidents go away, right? And while this is easier said than done, it’s not impossible. Accomplishing this in one or two areas will make a dramatic difference in reducing yo[…]

You may be surprised to learn that companies – no matter the size – approach the problem of winter slips and falls on snow and ice is practically the same manner. There is one big difference though:  Large companies don’t just “set it and forget it” when it comes to safety. They learn and evolve. Smaller companies, however, may implement a slips, trips and falls safety policy or program, and then divert their attention once it’s up and running. And that can be a costly mistake.

The Winter of 2017 - 2018 in the Northeast US was definitely one for the record books. With record breaking cold temperatures, frequent and massive snow falls, ice storms and the resulting school cancellations it seemed like it would never end. Although it still doesn't feel like it, according to the calendar, Spring has finally and officially arrived! Before you completely put this winter behind you I have a question for you. This question has the ability to help you get better employee buy-in when trying to prevent winter slip and falls in ice and snow. 

Good question! Most PPE that you deal with as a safety professional has some sort of third-party anti-slip regulation that guides you in your decision making. Whether that standard comes from ANSI, OSHA or CSA, etc., there is typically some predetermined barometer for gauging whether the specific PPE you are considering has “passed the test.” This is true for everything from gloves and hard hats to steel toe boots and even indoor slip-resistant footwear. But when it comes to ice cleats and traction aids, there are NO STANDARDS. Why is that?

From time to time, we like to revisit some of our most popular blog entries. If safety professionals are looking for specific information, we’re always happy to provide it. And one of our most popular topics focused on the lack of regulations when it comes to ice cleats. In my original article, “Why Are There No Regulations Around Ice Cleats?” I wrote that the main reason for a lack of industry standards or regulations around ice cleats is the number of variables in recreating an outdoor slippery surface. But I don’t think that my post was popular because people wanted to hear why these regula[…]