It’s that time of year again, and with it brings snow storms a plenty. And while many of us enjoy frolicking in the snow or sipping hot chocolate next to a warm fire, inclement weather makes for some very dangerous conditions. Nothing is worse than having to go out into the storm, whether for school, work, or other imperative errands. So if you absolutely must brave dangerous weather, make sure you follow some of these safety tips.
Stay Safe While Travelling
- Leave yourself plenty of time to get to your destination. Rushing to get anywhere, no matter your mode of transportation, will highly increase your chances of losing control and hurting yourself and others. Whether you are driving, walking, or on a team of sled dogs, leave your home early and plan for delays.
- Practice driving new cars in an empty but snowy parking lot. It’s better to get a feel for how your car handles snowy road conditions before you drive in regular traffic.
- Drive slowly and leave plenty of room between you and other cars. Braking is more difficult when the roads are slippery, so plan for that difficulty.
- Increase your visibility as much as possible. When you are in a car, this means wiping your windows and turning on your lights. If you are walking, wear dark clothing.
- Give snow plows lots of space on the road. Trying to pass them is dangerous as they have limited visibility. The road conditions behind them are better anyway.
- Pedestrians should not cross the street until they are sure that all cars in their path have fully stopped, even if you are at a crosswalk and it is your right-of-way.
- Wear shoes with good traction on the soles. When entering a building, tap your feet on the ground to clear your footwear of snow. In buildings, use handrails to keep yourself from slipping and falling.
Keep Your Workplace Safe
- Use rock salt or kitty litter on sidewalks outside. The rock salt can help the snow melt faster while kitty litter keeps the sidewalks from becoming too slippery to walk on.
- Exercise a little to warm up before shoveling snow. Also avoid nicotine and caffeine immediately before snow shoveling as they can raise your heart rate.
- Have temporary signs on hand to indicate hazardous areas around your workplace.
- Have first aid kits and 72-hour kits available in your workplace. It’s possible that you can get snowed in or trapped in your place of work; if you are stuck, a 72-hour kit can provide food and other necessary supplies until you are able to leave.
- All businesses should have a winter safety plan in case of emergency. If your business doesn’t already have one, suggest one to upper management and volunteer to help create it.
How do you stay safe while commuting to work? How do you keep your workplace safe during the winter months? We’d love to hear about it in the comments below.
Sources:
“Driving Safety Tips.” http://www.weather.com/activities/driving/drivingsafety/drivingsafetytips/snow.html. (8 Jan. 2014).
“Winter Walking Safety.” http://ehs.utah.edu/general-safety/winter-walking-safety. (8 Jan. 2014).
“OUTDOOR SAFETY AT THE WORKPLACE: 9 WINTER SAFETY TIPS YOU DIDN’T KNOW.” http://www.safetyservicescompany.com/topic/uncategorized/outdoor-safety-at-the-workplace-9-winter-safety-tips-you-didnt-know/. (8 Jan. 2014).
Vasallo, Annaliza. “Winter Safety Tips: Prevent Slips, Trips and Falls.” http://jobsafety.seton.ca/winter-safety-tips-preventing-slip-trips-falls/. (8 Jan. 2014).