Winter Weather Safety - MOSH

Winter weather can create challenges that affect both employee safety and productivity. Whether the workplace is indoors or involves outdoor tasks, it's essential to be prepared for winter conditions. OSHA's winter safety guidelines emphasize the various weather-related hazards employees may encounter during winter, such as hazardous driving conditions, snow shoveling risks, and working outdoors in harsh weather. Employers are responsible for managing risks like icy surfaces, strong winds, and extreme cold to prevent illnesses, injuries, and fatalities in winter-affected workplaces.

The specific hazards may differ depending on the location, industry, and business activities, but the risks employees may encounter in winter includes:

• Winter driving
• Slips, trips, and falls
• Shoveling snow
• Hypothermia and frostbite
• Seasonal Flu
• Smoke & Carbon Monoxide

Additional Resources:

• Preparing for a Winter Storm. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
• Checklist and Tips for Safe Winter Driving. National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA)
• Occupational Safety and Health and Climate. National Institute for Occupational Health (NIOSH) Workplace Safety and Health Topic
• NIOSH Fast Facts: Protecting Yourself from Cold Stress. National Institute for Occupational Health (NIOSH)
• Outdoor Safety During a Winter Storm. Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
• Power Outage Safety. American Red Cross
• Preparing for Winter Travel. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
• Winter Storm Safety. American Red Cross
• Snowstorms & Extreme Cold. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
• Be Prepared for Winter Driving. National Safety Council (NSC), (April 2009)
• Prepare Your Workplaces or Organizations. American Red Cross
• Fire Safety during Winter Storms. National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
• Carbon Monoxide (CO) Poisoning. John Hopkins Medicine