During the winter, it isn’t uncommon for there to be snow and ice in parking lots, driveways and on sidewalks.
Here are some tips to help you with avoiding injury when walking on these slippery surfaces.
- Be sure to wear boots or slip-resistant shoes. Avoid wearing high-heels, wedges or sandals. Walk slowly and watch the placement of your feet.
- Even if it looks like the pavement is just wet, there could still be areas with black ice. Black ice often forms overnight as wet pavement freezes when the temperatures drop below 32 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Be careful when getting into or out of your car. Be mindful of where you are parking. You may be on top of a patch of ice.
- If there is a rug at your workplace, in the store or in your home in front of the door, wipe your feet off so that it they aren’t wet on bottom. Many times, people will slip and fall after entering a building because the bottoms of their shoes are still wet.
- Try not to carry a lot of heavy items in your arms. Use a backpack if you can. You need to be able to use your arms to help keep yourself stable.
These tips will help you to safely navigate snowy and icy pavement on your way into work, the store or your home.
Get more winter safety tips from EHS Today.