During a conversation with a safety director from a renowned multinational corporation, he shared with me the challenges they faced with slip and fall accidents caused by icy and snowy conditions. Determined to find a solution, they delved into extensive research, testing, and thorough analysis. Ultimately, they made the decision to invest in ice cleats that they believed were the best available at that time. (Just to clarify, these were not the ice cleats produced by my company.)

When it comes to ice cleats, most are NOT safe to wear indoors. Traditional ice cleats are engineered for one thing – preventing slip and fall incidents on ice. Since Ice and snow don’t exist indoors, manufacturers don’t concentrate on indoor flooring materials when developing ice cleats to prevent slips and falls. This can severely complicate a company’s goal of reducing slip and fall incidents because, if traditional ice cleats are worn indoors, your employees are now at a high risk of causing a slip hazard. In other words, remember the OUTDOOR slipping incident you may avoid because ice cle[…]

Now, when the word "winter" is mentioned, safety professionals immediately feel a shift in the atmosphere. They know that their job has become even more challenging - finding the most effective and safest ways to protect their employees who work in icy and snowy conditions. So let me ask you a few questions: Are you tired of endlessly searching online, attempting to determine which ice cleat or traction aid is the best option? Are you frustrated with purchasing a recommended traction aid, only to discover that your employees despise wearing them?

It may seem odd that there are no standards for ice cleats and traction aids, especially when there are regulations for other types of PPE. However, the reason for this is that creating anti-slip regulations for ice and snow is extremely challenging. There are simply too many variables to consider when it comes to creating traction on these surfaces. For example, not all icy or snowy surfaces are the same, and there are different types of fall risk factors to consider, such as pure ice, intermittent ice, black ice, snow on top of ice, ice on top of snow, inclines, and declines. All of these fa[…]

The issue of workers having to constantly put on and take off their ice cleats throughout the day is not only a hassle, but it can also be a safety concern. In industries where employees need to frequently go outside, such as construction or delivery, the constant removal and reapplication of ice cleats can lead to complacency and an increased risk of slips and falls. Additionally, while ice cleats are designed to improve traction on snow and ice, most workers do not exclusively work on these surfaces. This means that ice cleats may not be effective on other slippery surfaces such as wet floor[…]

The thing about winter is, despite forecasts, you just never can know when a strong weather system will move across the country. But there are several things I do know for sure... First, I know that if the country gets any significant snow or ice, it means that normally clean walking surfaces will become slippery and, as a result, slips and falls will increase. Guaranteed.