The time seems to have finally come.

[Image courtesy of Jerrico on Pixabay via a Creative Commons license]Driving on roads during winter can be a dangerous proposition, especially for those who drive as part of their job. Workplaces should have a winter-driving safety protocol in place for their drivers to help keep them safe while they execute their daily duties on four wheels.

For many of us in Canada, fall has already shown its face, and winter is bearing down on us any day now. But for some parts of the United States, autumn is only now making an appearance with chilly morning temperatures and trees falling bare with colorful leaves drifting to the ground. This week makes it the perfect time to continue our ongoing series of blog posts regarding winter driving as it pertains to businesses and employees who use their personal vehicles or company cars to conduct business.

As many of us know, winter can lead to very dangerous driving conditions for many people, what with snow, sleet, freezing rain and ice on the roadways. Not to mention fog or other low-visibility conditions as well as just really, really cold temperatures. Winter could very well be the most dangerous time of year to be driving, but many businesses can’t stop operations during the winter months out of safety concerns for drivers and employees. For some businesses, the winter holiday season is the time to be out gathering sales and making connections, as the holiday time is where the largest portion of business comes to may businesses.

While personally, you are not recommended to drive in harsh conditions, when it comes to doing your job professionally, staying home is really not an option – unless you want to stay home permanently because your business will shutter its doors. So when the weather is too treacherous fo you to drive and run errands for your family, pay some respect to those who are willing to sacrifice for their families by working the roads no matter their conditions. But this only partly beside the point here.

In this post, as this blog is all about workplace safety, I want to take a peek into how to keep your mobile workers safe when they are out on the winter roadways this coming season. Many of these tips are commonly referenced to anyone and everyone who drives in the wintertime, but these can be especially applied to your employees. It would be a wise idea that, if you are located in a part of North America where winter driving is common and dangerous, you put a winter-driving procedure or protocol in place in your workplace rather than just relying on your workers getting these tips from television or other public-service opportunities. If you make these tips important to your business, your employees will likely take them seriously as well.

  • Don’t be ignorant. Before you get in the car, make sure you check all available resources to know the latest conditions of the roads you plan to travel. Make sure you know your usual route, and have alternate routes and/or detours mapped out ahead of time just in case a part of your route is too risky or closed off to driving.
  • Make sure your boss or supervisor knows your planned route and expected destination and when you anticipate arriving. Leave contact information if you are not heard from for a period of time after your expected arrival time.
  • Put winter tires on your car. Four matching ones, and be sure to stay on top of the tire pressure by checking it every week or two. If you absolutely cannot get winter tires for your vehicle, then make sure to have chains available to put on your tires when it is recommended.
  • Have your emergency kit. If you are overseeing a company fleet, you should make sure that every vehicle has these items in the trunk or accessible in the car in case of being stranded: a windshield ice scraper, snow brush, flashes/matches/a lighter, tire chains, gloves, first-aid kit, shovel, sand or cat litter (for traction on ice), flashlight with extra batteries, jumper cables, spare time and jack, change of clothes and shoes (in case you get wet) and a cell phone that is fully charged and a car charger.
  • If you have employees who may be traveling outside of the suburbs and into rural areas, the emergency kits should then have these items added: Thick blanket or sleeping bag, candles, food that is considered “high energy,” a can to catch melting show (for water), and a tow rope.
  • If you are a driver and you find yourself caught in a winter storm, do not have a freak-out and risk the safety of other drivers.  Get over to the side of the road as safely as possible and turn off your lights. Stay in your vehicle and wait out the storm, cracking your windows slightly so you can at least have some fresh air coming in. Only run your engine periodically (perhaps a couple of minutes every hour) to keep it from freezing over. If you have them, put out safety lights or flares. Stay warm using blankets or survival candles. But most importantly, do not allow yourself to be overexposed to the elements and do not exert yourself unnecessarily – you need to save your energy.