Winter Slip and Fall Prevention Checklist
The first hard freeze turns every loading dock, parking lot and entryway into a fall hazard, and OSHA's walking-working surface rule names snow and ice outright. Use this winter checklist to keep crews upright and exit routes clear before the first storm.
The first bad injury of the season often comes within a week of the first freeze. It is rarely on the shop floor. It is the walk in from the parking lot, the dock plate nobody salted, or the vestibule where meltwater sits under a soaked mat. Winter slips are predictable, which means they're preventable.
Why winter falls deserve a plan
Falls, slips and trips are one of the biggest sources of lost-time injuries in private industry. The Bureau of Labor Statistics counted 479,480 days-away-from-work cases from falls, slips and trips across 2023 and 2024, with a median of 13 days away per case (BLS). Weather makes it worse: BLS reports that ice, sleet, snow or hail contributed to 45 workplace deaths in 2023 (BLS).
What OSHA actually says
29 CFR 1910.22 is short and direct. Workroom floors must be kept clean and, to the extent feasible, dry. Walking-working surfaces must be "maintained free of hazards such as sharp or protruding objects, loose boards, corrosion, leaks, spills, snow, and ice." Surfaces must be inspected regularly and as necessary, and hazardous conditions must be fixed before anyone uses the surface again. If you can't fix it right away, the hazard has to be guarded so people can't use it.
That last part is where signs earn their keep. A cone and a sign at an iced-over side door is how you guard a hazard you can't clear until the crew with the ice melt gets there.
Exit routes get their own rule. 29 CFR 1910.37(a)(3) says exit routes must be free and unobstructed, and no materials or equipment may be placed in them, "either permanently or temporarily." Snowbanks plowed against an exit door count, and so does the pallet of ice melt parked in the corridor.
Winter walk-through checklist
Do this walk before the first storm, then again after each one.
Parking lots and walkways. Map the routes people actually walk, not the ones on the site plan. Assign who clears and treats each route, and by what time before shift change. Check lighting, because black ice you can't see is the one that gets people.
Entryways and vestibules. Meltwater is the indoor winter hazard. Put down absorbent walk-off mats long enough for several steps, swap them when saturated, and mark wet floors. Our caution labels cover the potential-hazard warnings that belong at these transitions.
Loading docks and dock plates. Steel plates, ramps and dock edges ice up fast and are easy to forget. Treat them on the same schedule as walkways, and post an ANSI-style Caution Unsafe Surface label, which is ANSI compliant and OSHA compliant, where the surface stays slick no matter what you do.
Doors that swing into walkways. In winter, people come through doors fast with their heads down against the wind. An outward-swinging door into an icy path is a collision and a fall at once. The OSHA-style Caution Door Swings Outward labels warn whoever's on the other side.
Exit doors and discharge paths. Walk every exit to the public way. Make sure plows aren't banking snow against doors, and that the discharge path is cleared too, not just the door. A Fire Exit Do Not Block label on the outside face reminds plow drivers and contractors the door has to open.
Signs and labels themselves. Ice, salt spray and pressure washing are hard on signage. Check that existing labels are still readable, and replace faded ones. If you're unsure whether a hazard calls for CAUTION or WARNING, our signal word guide walks through the choice.
Habits that keep people upright
Gear and signs only go so far. Train people to take short steps with flat feet on slick surfaces, keep hands free, and use three points of contact getting in and out of trucks and equipment. Encourage traction footwear or slip-on cleats for outdoor work, and have people report icy spots instead of walking around them.
Peak season stacks winter weather on top of temp workers and long shifts. If you run a warehouse, our warehouse peak season safety post covers the rest of that list.
Before you order
Count your entrances, dock doors, outward-swinging doors and exits, then add a few spares for doors that take a beating from carts and weather.
VLG labels are printed in house in Kenai, Alaska, where winter isn't a rumor. They're Printed in the USA on premium low-shrinkage calendered vinyl with an industrial strength adhesive, so they hold on cold steel doors and painted block. For a full exit-route refresh, browse our emergency exit signs.
Outfitting several buildings or a whole campus? We take bulk and custom orders, including site-specific wording. Minimums apply.
This article is general safety guidance, not legal advice. Check the current text of 29 CFR 1910.22 and 1910.37, any state-plan rules that apply to you, and consult a qualified safety professional for your site.
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