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[…]

In our business, there is a perfect time to concentrate on reducing winter slips and falls. And that time is now. Winter is here, and as a safety professional, it is crucial to prioritize the safety of your employees by addressing your ice cleat and traction aid program. It cannot be stressed enough how important it is to have your traction aids in stock no later than October 1st. This ensures that your employees are as safe as possible, as they will have ice cleats before the inclement weather arrives.

It’s a question we’ve heard more than a few times. How do we answer it? Look at it this way: If you typed the phrase “ice cleats” into Google back in 2010, the search engine would give back around 418,000 results. Trust us on this number: it’s our job to run that specific search. Try the same search today, and you’ll get back more than 10 million results. What does this number tell us?

Sometimes, experience is earned the hard way. Bear with me while I start this story from the beginning. I had a conversation with a customer that left me confused. He had previously purchased ice traction cleats from Winter Walking while working in a different industry. Now he’s the safety lead with a new employer and he is looking to replicate the success he had with our winter PPE. He explained to me that his new employer has had a long history of winter slip and fall incidents in ice and snow conditions. He knew that he could likely solve these costly injuries with one or more of Winter Wal[…]

I speak to our customers on a regular basis. One in particular has been buying our ice shoe cleats for years. Despite their purchase, they’ve still had a few slip and fall accidents on the ice and snow and are frustrated. After the accident investigations, they realized each incident had the same the root cause: None of the employees who fell were wearing the ice cleats and winter traction aids that were being provided.

I’ve found that there are two ways people tend to look at ice cleats. Ice cleats are a last resort. Ice cleats are part of the workplace safety gear solution. Let me ask you a question: Why are your employees using the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) they have today? Chances are, your company has a lot of PPE that are mandatory, not voluntary, as a condition of employment. What about safety glasses, hard hats, steel-toe boots, high-visibility clothing, fire-retardant apparel? You get my point. These items are mandatory at most workplaces, including yours. Why? Because your employees experi[…]