When purchasing a safety item for your employees, it is fair to consider whether the item you are purchasing is too expensive. While you would generally expect a company to spend whatever it takes to keep everyone as safe as possible, that might not always be the case. As a matter of fact, from a pure numbers standpoint, it might even make sense to let the accidents happen.

Have you ever purchased ice cleats in the past and regretted the choice? Why? Perhaps you had a slip and fall incident and made a “reactive” decision that resulted in buying the cheapest thing you could find online or at your local big box retailer? Perhaps you then heard nothing but complaints from your people: “I can’t wear these indoors.” “My ice cleat broke.” “My cleats keep falling off.”

Did you know that every winter slip and fall your employees had could have been prevented? Here’s how: Don’t allow your employees to walk or work outdoors in the winter months when ice and snow are present. For most of you, that’s impossible, so what’s the real solution? Employees need well-fitted and appropriate winter traction aids to help keep them safe and productive while walking and working outdoors in winter. And let’s face it, your safety record will boil down to how seriously you take the threat of snow and ice.

A few weeks ago we had a snow storm where in live (outside Philadelphia, PA) it was about 14 inches of snow mixed with some sleet as well. Needless to say it wasn’t the safest conditions to work or walk outdoors for several days. I was having a conversation with a co-worker as we were walking out the door. We got to the parking lot and finished up. He started walking to his car and almost slipped and fell on the ice! Our parking lot was a real mess with sporadic ice all over. It occurred to me he wasn’t wearing the ice cleats that we manufacture (AND he sells). Realizing it was a near miss I t[…]

I was speaking with a senior safety coordinator for a large Canadian company recently. This winter has been bone chillingly cold in a lot of places in North America and it seems like winter will not end anytime soon, thanks Polar Vortex! Because of the brutal duration of this winter, this particular person was not in the mood to discuss the use of an ice cleat or other winter traction aids. He admitted that he is he’s sick of hearing about ice cleats and having to “deal” with them all the time. Does this sound familiar to you?

Have you heard this from your employees? This is a common cry from employees especially in the more Northern climates where nasty winter weather is normal. Many of these people have been dealing with snowy and icy winters their whole life and telling them now that they need to wear ice heel cleats while on the job can be a bit like telling your kids that they have to wear their mittens....they will resist at all cost. Do your employees walk safely on ice and snow and is it reasonable to accept this as a reason not provide and insist that they wear ice cleats or other forms of Winter Walking tr[…]