Seasonal Hazards: Preparing for Winter to Minimize Workers’ Compensation Insurance Risks

Workplace Safety, Risk Management & Loss Prevention | U.S. Market Focus

Why Winter Risk Management Is a Bottom-Line Issue

When temperatures dive and sidewalks freeze, the risk of employee injury—and the cost of workers’ compensation insurance (WC)—both climb. National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) data show that slip-and-fall claims average $51,047 per case, dramatically higher than the all-industry claim average of $44,179. (injuryfacts.nsc.org) That single statistic explains why proactive winter planning is a must-have for safety managers, CFOs and HR leaders alike.

For U.S. employers, the financial exposure comes from three directions:

Direct claim cost (medical + indemnity).
Experience-mod increases that push next year’s premium higher.
Productivity loss when skilled workers are out on disability.

This ultimate guide walks you through proven strategies—backed by real cost data, carrier pricing examples and expert insights—to keep your people safe and your WC premiums under control from November through March.

Understanding the Winter Claim Spike
Compliance & Duty-of-Care: What OSHA and States Expect
Hazard Identification Checklist
- Slips, Trips & Falls on Ice
- Cold Stress & Frostbite
- Winter Driving & Motor-Vehicle Claims
- Influenza, COVID-19 and Indoor Air Quality
Engineering and Administrative Controls
PPE & Wearables: High-Tech Prevention Tools
Training, Drills & Safety Culture
ROI Analysis: How Prevention Cuts Premiums
Carrier Snapshot & Pricing Benchmarks
Case Study: Minneapolis Distribution Center Saves $186K
Action Plan & Free Resources

1. Understanding the Winter Claim Spike

Seasonal Frequency Trends

• Up to 10 percent more WC claims occur on cold, wet days compared to mild-weather days. (ncci.com)
• Oregon’s not-for-profit carrier SAIF logged 414 ice-related claims in one January storm, the highest since 2017. (insurancejournal.com)

Cost Severity

Cause category	Average claim cost (2021-22)
Motor vehicle	$90,914
Burns	$63,119
Falls/Slips (often winter-related)	$51,047
Caught-in/between	$46,902
Source: NCCI (injuryfacts.nsc.org)

Even a handful of severe falls can wipe out an otherwise pristine loss run, raising your experience-mod (Ex-Mod) above 1.00 and inflating your renewal premium for three policy periods.

2. Compliance & Duty-of-Care

Under the OSHA General Duty Clause (29 U.S.C. §654), employers must keep the workplace “free from recognized hazards.” Many states—especially in the Northeast, Great Lakes and Mountain West—layer on additional requirements for snow removal, roof-top work and cold-stress monitoring.

Key mandates to track:

New York Industrial Code Rule 23-1.7—requires ice removal or sanding of access ways.
Minnesota Rule 5205.0110—sets exposure limits for cold stress in outdoor construction.
California SB 550 (2025)—adds civil penalties for failure to provide warming shelters at temps below 32 °F (effective January 1, 2026).

Failing to comply can trigger OSHA fines ($16,131 per serious violation) and create negligence arguments that increase claim settlements.

3. Winter Hazard Identification Checklist

Slips, Trips & Falls on Ice

Icy parking lots, sidewalks, truck beds and loading docks
Frozen condensation on freezer-warehouse floors
Rooftop snow removal activities

Cold Stress & Frostbite

Prolonged outdoor work below 19 °F without breaks
Wet gloves or boots reducing insulation
Wind chill factors under −20 °F

Winter Driving & MVA Claims

Snow-covered roadways and black ice
Reduced daylight hours—driver fatigue
Chain-up requirements in mountain passes

Influenza, COVID-19 and Indoor Air Quality

Recirculated air in sealed buildings
Increased absenteeism affecting safe staffing ratios

Pro-tip: Map each hazard to its corresponding workers-comp class code to see where losses will hit your premium hardest.

4. Engineering and Administrative Controls

Below is a tiered control strategy you can benchmark against ANSI/ASSP Z10 and ISO 45001 frameworks.

Control Tier	Example	Winter Application
Elimination	Close non-essential outdoor work during blizzards	Use remote dispatch instead of on-site shift start
Substitution	Heated entrances vs. chemical de-icers	Install hydronic mats under entry pavers
Engineering	Canopy over loading dock	Sloped, heated roof sheds ice automatically
Administrative	Staggered shift times	Reduce congestion during snow removal
PPE	Ice-cleat overshoes	Electrically heated gloves for lineworkers

5. PPE & Wearables: High-Tech Prevention Tools

Ice-Cleat Footwear Covers ($25-$40/pair). SAIF credits cleats with reducing slip incidents by 28 percent. (insurancejournal.com)
Smart Insoles & Gait Sensors (e.g., SolePower®) alert EHS managers when an employee’s gait suggests high slip risk.
Core-Temp Wearables measure body temperature and send real-time alerts for hypothermia risk—critical for lineworkers in the Dakotas.

6. Training, Drills & Safety Culture

A winter-specific training module should cover:

Proper walking technique on ice (“penguin shuffle”)
Three-point contact when exiting vehicles
Cold-stress symptom recognition
Emergency response for frostbite and hypothermia

For a deeper dive into building a strong safety culture, see Building a Safety Culture: How Leadership Cuts Workers' Compensation Insurance Losses.

7. ROI Analysis: How Prevention Cuts Premiums

Simple Payback Model

Assumptions (Midwest manufacturing plant):

Payroll: $5 million
WC base rate: $1.40 per $100 payroll
Ex-Mod: 1.10 → premium = $77,000
Prevention program cost: $18,000 (cleats, heated mats, training)

If program reduces winter slip claims by two cases:

Cost avoidance = 2 × $51,047 = $102,094
New Ex-Mod could drop to 0.95 → premium = $66,500
First-year savings: $12,500 premium + $102,094 claims = $114,594
Payback period: < 3 months

For help quantifying ROI on safety training, explore Safety Training Metrics: Proving ROI Through Lower Workers' Compensation Insurance Premiums.

8. Carrier Snapshot & Pricing Benchmarks

Carrier	Small-Business WC Starting Price	Notable Winter-Safety Programs
The Hartford	Avg. $86/mo; as low as $13/mo for firms < $300K payroll (thehartford.com)	“WinterReady” loss-control checklist, free slip-resistant footwear pilot
Travelers	Quoted per $100 payroll (e.g., $1.00 retail), sample 10-employee shop $4,500/yr (travelers.com)	TravPay® pay-as-you-go solves seasonal payroll swings
AmTrust	Targets premiums under $5,000 for small businesses (amtrustfinancial.com)	On-demand winter-weather webinars, free safety posters

Regional Note: Premiums in New York (index rate 1.98) run nearly double those in Texas (0.94). See the 2024 Oregon Premium Rate Ranking for state-by-state differentials. (oregon.gov)

Sample State Premium Comparison

State	Index Rate	Percent of U.S. Median	Winter Severity Level
Hawaii	2.52	231 %	Low snow, high rain
New York	1.98	182 %	Heavy snow, freeze-thaw cycles
California	1.86	170 %	Sierra & mountain hazards
Wisconsin	1.42	130 %	Great Lakes lake-effect snow
Texas	0.94	86 %	Ice storms in North & Central TX

Source: Oregon Department of Consumer & Business Services (2024) (oregon.gov)

9. Case Study: Minneapolis Distribution Center Saves $186K

Company profile
• 220 employees | $8 million payroll
• Class codes: 7380 (Drivers), 8292 (Storage/Warehouse)

Problem
Five winter slip-and-fall claims in 2024-25 totaling $255,000.

Solution

Installed heated entry mats ($9,200).
Issued ice-cleat overshoes to all drivers and loaders ($6,600).
Implemented daily 6 a.m. “Ice Patrol” with a salt-brine sprayer ($4,800 labor).
Conducted a Job Hazard Analysis Step-by-Step for Better Workers' Compensation Insurance Outcomes.

Results (2025-26 season)

Zero recordable slip claims.
Ex-Mod dropped from 1.23 to 0.89.
Premium reduction: $70,000.
Total first-year savings: $255,000 avoided claims + $70,000 premium savings − $20,600 program cost = $304,400.

Projected three-year cumulative savings exceed $186,000 after program costs.

10. Winter-Ready Action Plan

Audit exterior walking surfaces before November 1.
Budget for engineering controls (heated mats, canopies) by July for CapEx cycle.
Source PPE early. Ice-cleat availability tightens by December.
Update your Written Inclement Weather Policy; specify when operations pause.
Run a “Winter Safety Stand-Down”—15-minute tailgate meeting every Monday.
Track leading indicators (near-miss slips). Use How Near-Miss Reporting Drives Down Workers' Compensation Insurance Frequency Rates to build the template.
Engage your carrier’s loss-control team for no-cost site surveys; schedule before the first major storm.

Free Resources

• OSHA Winter Weather Preparedness QuickCard
• NIOSH Cold Stress App
• NSC Slip-Trip-Fall Prevention Training Kits (from $35) (nsc.org)

Key Takeaways

Winter slips average $51K per claim—triple the cost of basic strains.
Strategic controls can pay back in under one quarter.
Carrier partnerships and modern wearables make winter risk mitigation easier and more affordable than ever.

Implement the checklist above now, and your finance team—and your employees—will thank you when the snow flies.