Recently, I recalled a disturbing conversation I had with a Senior Safety Manager at a large company. He had expressed his frustration to me that after working so hard to establish a winter ice cleat program, he was still having trouble getting his employees to participate. Despite his ongoing effort to improve the company safety record by preventing slips, trips and falls in ice and snow, it was just not a priority for others in his organization. I told him that, in my experience, the best run safety programs all have one key component in common: unwavering support from management.

I once read an article about a boy who referred to himself as an expert juggler. And that got me thinking: What does one have to do exactly to be considered an expert at juggling? Soon after, I was reminded of the “10,000-hour theory,” created by K. Anders Ericsson – and made popular by Malcolm Gladwell and Geoffrey Colvin. If you're not familiar with this theory, it states that after 10,000 hours of practice at anything, you will have reached a level of expertise.

Do you you know the top 3 safety tips for your profession? Let’s face it, if you’re a safety professional, it all comes down improving your safety record. And there’s one big unknown when it comes to where that record will stand at the end of the year: Winter weather. Here are three tried-and-true – and quite simple – ways to keep your employees safer in bad weather – and eliminate slip and fall incidents on snow and ice.

As a safety professional, you most likely hear your share of employee complaints. The one we hear about frequently is this: "My ice cleats fall off all the time." It’s true that ice cleats and other traction aids can be a little complicated. Sometimes you wear one size in a specific brand and a completely different size in another. It’s a fairly common occurrence in regular shoes. Well, ice cleats and snow traction for shoes are no different. With the many styles of traction devices available, sometimes getting the optimal fit seems impossible.

On my way into the city one day last year, the skies began to grow dark and by the time I pulled into the parking lot, the heavens had opened up and were dumping buckets of water all around me. From inside my car, I could see that some enterprising young fellow had opened up a makeshift umbrella sales stand on the corner. Not wanting to arrive to my appointment soaking wet, I parked my car, made a mad dash to his stand and gladly forked over the $20 for the small black umbrella.

As a safety manager, this is the time of year your attention turns to winter prep. Storms are right around the corner and reducing winter slips and falls is sure to be on your mind. So, have you started your search for the perfect ice cleat or traction aid? And if so, have you made your decision on whether to use replaceable or permanent spikes. If you’re still making that choice, here’s some info that may help. Replacing spikes in traction footwear is indeed a cost-saving option. It allows you to re-use existing footwear for just a few dollars a pair.