According to Injury Prevention and Control statistics from the CDC, slip-and-fall injuries are the leading cause of non-fatal injuries reported among all age groups in the U.S. It is critical for property owners and property maintenance contractors to monitor and manage the melt and refreeze exposures on walkways and parking areas where there is regular foot traffic. Snow and ice melt during the day will often refreeze overnight, creating slippery walking conditions by morning. The resulting thin layer of ice is referred to as “black ice” and may look like wet pavement at first glance but could pose a hazardous slip-and-fall risk.
Here are some tips to proactively manage your property throughout the winter:
• Don’t wait. Beat the storm: Applying ice melt to driveways & walkways before weather events prevents ice from sticking to the surface.
• Control the runoff: Snow should be piled at the low areas of your lot, if possible, to prevent melt runoff, and refreeze over common walking areas.
• Inspect rain gutters and downspouts: Avoid having water flow from these onto walkways, which can freeze and become a slip-and-fall hazard.
• Mix it up with sand: Applying store-bought rock salt or calcium chloride ice melt is a great way to melt ice accumulation on the ground; however, the melted ice may still freeze overnight. Using a rock salt and sand mixture or spreading sand on top of the ice melt once applied is best. The sand will help prevent the wet surface from re-freezing and will provide some extra grip for pedestrians.
• Timing is everything: Areas of melt and refreeze are most dangerous in the early morning hours and at night. It’s best to treat these areas early before opening for business.
• Make a plan: If you or an employee will be responsible for snow removal or clearing walkways, make a plan to designate who is accountable, monitor conditions regularly, and document each time areas are cleared or treated.
• Routine inspection: Conduct periodic walkthroughs of the property to look for areas of risk (water runoff, low areas where water tends to pool) and ensure that proper safety measures are in place.
• Hiring a snow and ice removal contractor: If hiring a contractor for snow and ice control on your property, ensure you have a contract in place that specifies responsibilities in the agreement.