| The MSGIA recently rolled out a Winter Preparation Safety Grant for schools that participate in the Workers’ Compensation program. Over 200,000 annual work-related injuries occur nationwide due to employee slips, trips and falls. Historically, they have been a leader in the frequency (total number of incidents) and severity (total costs) of workers’ compensation claims. Montana winters can be particularly harsh. The intent of the winter safety grant was to give thought to the safety of employees during the upcoming winter months and remind safety committees of the important role they play in workplace safety. As part of this safety grant process, the MSGIA districts’ have provided some excellent practices on preparing for the ice and snow that is on its way.
The MSGIA has taken that information and would like to share with schools a summary of many of the best practices in this area in an effort to assist in reducing on the job injuries. Although not inclusive, many of the slip, trip and fall incidents occurring in public schools are due to the following winter conditions:
1) Ice/snow covered sidewalks and parking lots
2) Inadequate illumination combined with shorter daytime hours
3) Wet walking surfaces due to water
4) Taking short cuts between the parking lot and the building instead of using the sidewalk or cleared pathways
5) Material and/or debris located on walking surfaces
6) Defective sidewalks
7) Snow melting, running across walk ways and then freezing again
8) Parking lots being hard to maintain during the winter
The costs associated with slip, trip, and falls are calculated into your experience modification factor, which can cause an increase in your workers’ compensation premium. Therefore, it is important to prevent these types of accidents from occurring in the first place. To help reduce slip, trip and fall injuries, safety committees should discuss the following winter preparation plan tips and implement the most efficient means for communicating them to staff.
WINTER PREPARATION PLAN ELEMENTS:
•The District has a plan which addresses the three W’s for snow removal including but is not limited to…Who is responsible for snow removal, When snow should be removed and Where should the snow should be placed to avoid additional hazards
•The maintenance team should prioritize snow removal on district grounds; making sure that each building team knows which paths are going to be cleared first, second, third, etc. and that everyone knows this plan. The staff communication piece is important to ensure they know where to enter the school building in the morning.
•All staff should wear appropriate footwear when working outside. During snow and ice removal projects YakTrax are recommended
•Local buildings should each have their own equipment (shovels, brooms, de-icer, etc) stored at the building to limit the amount of exposure created from crews having to move equipment from one building to the other when working outside in the snow.
•Slippery conditions should be reported as soon as possible so they can be resolved. Using a combination of de-icer, sand and gravel in different walk patterns is recommended. We have found that de-icer by itself does not always help fix slippery areas after the melted ice re-freezes.
•“Wet floor” signs should be used when a floor surface is wet to warn other individuals of the hazardous condition that exists
INSPECTION & MAINTENANCE:
•Snow removal and ice control procedures should have parking lots and sidewalks cleared before the start of the school day.
•Prior to the first snow fall, Districts should have shovels, ice melt, sand, etc. by entryways
•Doormats should be provided inside all exterior doorways so people can wipe off their shoes and keep them fairly dry thereby keeping the floors dry.
•Ensure that there is proper drainage outside doors so that water and/or ice does not accumulate
•Ensure that sidewalks provide smooth, even walking surfaces. Even walking surfaces, cracked/damaged concrete and joint elevations should be repaired as soon as possible.
•All steps should be provided with uniform stair treads.
•Handrails should be provided where needed. Missing or loose handrails should be replaced and secured.
•Daylight savings time is a good time to check entryway, parking lots and replace burned out bulbs.
EDUCATION AND AWARENESS:
•Building principals and administrators should take the lead in their regular communications with the district staff to talk about ways to lower the accident rates related to winter conditions. Something administrators can stress is that employees should bring “office shoes” with them to work and to wear boots or more winter ready shoe wear when coming and going to and from school.
•Talk to employees about being extra cautious when coming from the employer provided parking to the school and when returning. If the employer provides parking to their employees then the path to and from that parking area is a covered exposure for WC purposes. So this is an area that district employees really need to take the lead for their personal safety. Employees should decrease their momentum by taking short steps and walking slowly.
•Report all slip trip and fall hazards to your immediate supervisor. The importance of this is to ensure others are not injured as well.
•When talking with your maintenance team, don’t forget to emphasize the benefits of stretching before doing the physically demanding work of clearing snow and ice of the walkways. Quote:
“As part of our winter preparation and the time before school lets out, our district has all our maintenance team review a video training on back injury prevention. We believe that having injury prevention refresher training before a heavy physical demanding timeframes that our staff are much more conscious about how they approach their work.”
•Remember, work place safety is everyone’s responsibility!!
We want to thank all our member districts for sharing their preparations for winter conditions. Our hope is that each district sees a 25% reduction in winter related accidents and that all employees stay injury free throughout the school year.  |