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Winters in many areas in the Northern Hemisphere can be a cause of concern for employers. The cold weather, energy crisis, flu, and slippery streets are a recipe for disaster.

Extreme weather conditions and temperatures can present unique challenges for businesses, especially in Canada, where employers must ensure the workplace is warm and safe. Workplace injuries due to employer negligence can lead to complicated legal issues. Avoiding it altogether is best, so we have compiled these winter safety tips.

Winter Threats to Employee Safety

Numerous winter hazards affect businesses, even in areas that don’t experience snow. Employees may face anything from dangerous driving conditions to the cold stress of working outdoors in the winter.

The specific hazards may vary by location and the nature of your business activities, but threats your people may face this winter may include:

• Flight delays and cancellations
• Flu and other seasonal illnesses
• Hypothermia and frostbite
• Local school delays and closures
• Power outages
• Road closures
• Slip and fall injuries
• Snow shoveling health risks
• Structural stress and damage
• Unsafe winter driving conditions

More people are working remotely, but a distributed workforce introduces new problems. These include an elevated risk of mental health issues and a more complex cybersecurity landscape.

Whether your employees work from home, in the office, or on the road, you can keep them safe with these tips. They will help you avoid cold-weather hazards that may catch you off-guard.

Winter Weather Safety Tips for Employees

Employers have a legal duty to ensure employee safety in most provinces. For example, Ontario’s Occupational Health and Safety Act, Section 25(2)(h), mandates employers to take reasonable steps to protect workers. Part of that obligation is developing policies and procedures to protect workers in cold environments.

Fortunately, you can typically foresee the risks associated with winter weather. You can take steps to mitigate or eliminate the impact on your employees and your business.

Monitor winter threats

Keep an eye on all potential threats to your people or location, from storm-related outages to local disease outbreaks. That sounds simple enough until you consider the many possible issues. Monitoring temperatures, weather forecasts, and road closures takes a lot of attention. It gets worse when you must monitor multiple office locations, field workers, or a remote workforce.

To address this problem, companies use specialized threat intelligence systems. They collate verified threat data from hundreds of sources to help you automatically identify the most pertinent information. Some systems can cross-reference real-time locations so you can quickly determine which employees are in potential danger.

Get the weather forecast

The Canadian government maintains the Environment Canada weather forecast site and the Weatheradio service. You should check the current conditions in your area before venturing outdoors. Subscribe to weather alerts on the website, which include wind chill warnings based on the local climate.

Safeguard field workers

As you can imagine, workers who must travel or work outdoors are vulnerable to weather conditions. Some outdoor workers typically stop working in bad weather.

However, others must work more, like electrical repair crews. Exposure to the natural elements increases the risk of cold-related illnesses, injuries, and accidents. You must provide them with proper training on winter work safety policies and the appropriate equipment and tools.

Suppose you have personnel who must drive for their job. Ensure their vehicles have the appropriate tires for the weather and road conditions. You should also ensure they have an emergency supply kit in their cars.

Give field workers a way to get help, like a lone worker safety app that sends an alert if they are in danger. It is a safety net for employees who might encounter danger in the field and gives them peace of mind.

Emergency communication software supporting location-based alerts is also necessary for companies with employees on the go. Real-time tracking and geofencing capabilities allow you to send only relevant, targeted weather notifications to people who need to receive them.

Maintain a safe facility during winter

You need to implement a Workplace Winter Safety Plan or develop one if you haven’t yet. Your plan should outline the risks, who are at risk, and the safe work practices and other control strategies you will use to keep workers safe. Communicate your plan to everyone in the workplace.

Falls involving ice, sleet, or snow are some of the most significant risks people face during winter. Employees who fall on slippery walking surfaces can experience a range of injuries, from sore muscles and bruises to fractures and serious head injuries.

Ensure everyone understands their responsibilities. Staff usually keep stairs, floors, and entranceways clear of ice and snow. At the same time, contractors take care of outside walkways and parking lots.

But in sudden, heavy weather, your staff may need to step in and help if the contractor is delayed. Provide them with training, tools, and equipment.

Raise awareness of slips, trips, and fall hazards through safety talks and other forms of communication. Provide prevention tips, such as wearing proper footwear (low heels, warm, waterproof, and good traction). Ask employees to report slip, trip, and fall hazards to their supervisor.

Assess the effectiveness of your prevention measures. Are snow and ice promptly cleared from walkways, parking lots, and loading docks? Are they deposited in a safe place? Are entrances and exits to buildings unobstructed and overhanging snowdrifts removed?

Winter preparedness protects your people and business. The CCOHS reports about 44,000 Canadians suffer workplace injuries annually due to accidental falls. You can’t prevent all accidents, but you can minimize the risk. You can salt the sidewalks, entranceway, steps, and parking lot to prevent the surfaces from getting slippery. You can also place absorbent mats at the entrances to avoid slips once employees enter the building.

The critical thing is to do these things before a slip-and-fall accident happens. Check your winter preparedness checklist to ensure you have completed your preparation tasks before the forecast calls for snow. Steps to improve winter workplace safety include:

• Ensure you have a reliable contractor for snow removal
• Inspect facilities (roof, plumbing, etc.)
• Install carbon monoxide detectors to monitor for leaks
• Keep walkways well-lit and marked
• Maintain an adequate supply of de-icing products for walking surfaces
• Perform required preventative maintenance and repairs
• Provide employees with slip-resistant footwear

Create an emergency response plan

Extreme weather is not an insurmountable hurdle for workplace safety. You can mitigate the effects by creating an emergency response plan that documents the steps you will take to ensure employees’ safety in a critical event. It can be a standalone document or part of your custom employee handbook guide.

Suppose a winter storm in your area unexpectedly intensifies so people at your office cannot leave. In that case, your emergency response plan will dictate what to do for the best safety outcomes. Here are the steps to creating your plan:

• Do a risk assessment: Before you plan, you must know what to prepare for. A risk or threat assessment guides you in identifying the most likely threats to your business and employees.
• Gather contact information: Collect emergency contact information for all employees so you can contact and account for everyone during an emergency. Include the local EMS, fire department, and police numbers, just in case.
• Delegate roles and responsibilities: Employees look to their leaders for reassurance and guidance during emergencies. These same leaders should be responsible for activating your emergency response plan, giving orders, and answering essential questions.
• Stockpile supplies: You should include a plan to store essential supplies in a cold weather emergency. These include food and water, blankets, battery-powered radios, and first aid kits.
• Have an evacuation plan: Some cold weather situations, such as unsafe roads and excessive snowfall, may make it impossible to evacuate your employees. Nevertheless, you should include instructions on what to do when evacuation becomes possible.
• Establish communication protocols: A plan will only work if you communicate with your people. Include information on how you plan to notify them of a critical event and how they can respond. Consider implementing an automated emergency notification system.

The best time to plan for an emergency is when you’re not in one. Take time to create and implement an emergency response plan as soon as possible.

Put work protocols in place in case of an outage

Utility outages that can last hours and sometimes even days are common during bad weather. Employees without heat, power, and communication services must know what to expect. Have a plan that deals with the following issues:

• Commute options
• Remote/telework options
• Modifications to work hours and shifts
• Power outages or surge impacts
• Emergency contact information
• Delivery delays/statuses
• Access to updates

Review winter safety topics

Keep winter safety at the forefront of workers’ minds by regularly holding brief meetings to discuss bite-size topics. That could be a safety talk to remind field workers to be wary of cold-weather hazards or provide winter driving tips.

Some topics that might come in useful in Canada include the following:

• Hypothermia signs and symptoms
• Cold-weather equipment handling
• Safe use of space heaters
• Frostbite prevention and care
• Seasonal affective disorder support
• How to maintain secure passwords

Encourage remote worker safety

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many employees are now working from home. As winter approaches, it’s essential to consider the increased risks that employees may face while working remotely. For example, shovelling snow can be dangerous due to injuries and cardiac emergencies, such as heart attacks.

Winter also takes a toll on employees’ mental health. Many are more sedentary than before the pandemic, directly impacting physical and psychological well-being. Numerous employees, particularly those working remotely, experience feelings of isolation that manifest as stress, anxiety, and depression. Additionally, about 15 percent of Canadians suffer from seasonal affective disorder (SAD) during winter.

Regular employee wellness checks are critical to ensuring your workers’ physical safety and mental well-being. Organizations can use the survey feature of an emergency notification solution to conduct confidential employee wellness checks, identify those who need additional support, and provide them with resources in a proactive manner.

Prepare for travel risks

Winter is a time when many people travel for work or personal reasons. However, this season also increases risks for travellers due to hazardous road and weather conditions and traffic on roads and airports. These risks can cause delays or cancellations, leaving employees stranded in unfamiliar places with limited resources. At worst, they could end up seriously injured in a car accident.

One way to help mitigate these risks is by using a travel safety app. It allows you to monitor the conditions of your travelling employees’ destinations so you can stay informed about potential hazards. It also provides a direct line of communication between you and your employees so that you can stay on the same page about any possible issues. Furthermore, your employees can use the app to reach out for support if needed, giving them peace of mind while travelling during winter.

Communicate the following safety tips to everyone in the workplace who drives (not only those who drive for work).

Safe driving:

• Use snow tires
• Slow down and adjust speed for weather and road conditions
• Check road and weather conditions before you head out
• Allow more time to get to where you are going
• Understand how your car handles in winter
• Keep a safe distance from other cars

Vehicle prep:

• Check defrosters/heaters, antifreeze levels, brakes and battery
• Ensure lights and indicators are working
• Use winter-specific wiper blades and carry extra windshield washer fluid
• Completely clean the outside of your car before you leave; chunks of ice and snow can pose a hazard to you and others
• Keep your gas tank at least half full to prevent moisture in the fuel line
• Carry winter survival gear, including a blanket, first aid kit, food that won’t spoil (granola bars), water, matches, extra clothing and boots, shovel, flashlight, flares, and booster cables.

Give employees a break

In Canada, there are no maximum exposure limits for cold working environments. However, some provinces have established some guidelines. Saskatchewan, for example, developed The Work Warm-up Schedule, which sets the Threshold Limit Values (TLVs) for cold stress.

Cold stress is the inability to maintain core body temperature that can lead to frostbite and hypothermia, which can be life-threatening. The Work Warm-Up Schedule shows the requisite warm-up breaks for working in cold conditions. It recommends additional breaks for workers as the wind velocity at the work site increases or the temperature drops.

Employees who work outside part or all of the time are at risk. Your cold stress prevention program should include:

• Training for supervisors and workers on the hazards, health effects, and prevention of cold-related illness. That includes clothing and personal protective equipment, re-warming procedures, recognizing cold stress injuries, and signs and symptoms of hypothermia
• Monitoring of outdoor workers by a supervisor
• Acclimatizing new employees to working in the cold
• Providing adequate rest breaks and warming shelters
• Organizing work allows people to alternate between working in the cold and in a warm environment.

Seasonal flu can be dangerous. Those safety habits we picked up during COVID-19 can help protect us against seasonal flu and the common cold. For example, health officials in Ontario asked people to return to wearing masks indoors. It wasn’t because of a resurgence of Covid. It was because many children were getting sick, and local hospitals were overwhelmed.

To help protect your workers against winter illness, encourage vulnerable people like seniors, those with comorbidities, pregnant women, and health workers to get vaccinations. Everyone should wash their hands regularly, use hand sanitizer, and stay away from others when they’re sick.

When at work, open all windows regularly for five minutes to ventilate the place properly. Finally, check the FluWatch site for weekly flu updates in Canada. Armed with this information, you’ll know when to raise the alert level at your office.

Be the Shelter From the Storm

The most vital thing you can do in the harsh winters of Canada is keep your employees informed before, during, and after a weather event. That shows you have their best interests in mind. Fortunately, most winter storms are predictable, so you can plan for them.

Do what you can now and ensure you have an effective communication system. Being prepared can help you better manage the impact on your employees, customers, and bottom line.

About Jeremy Diamond

Jeremy Diamond is a lawyer and member of both Ontario and Florida Bars. Jeremy practices in the area of Plaintiff personal injury litigation. Click here to learn more about Jeremy Diamond.