How to Review & Plan Your Winter Strategy

March 17, 2022

The winter season can take you by surprise. As the warm weather approaches, there couldn’t be a better time to plan out your winter strategy for next year. Let us take you through the important steps to follow to be better prepared for next winter.

 

1. Review Results from This Winter

Debrief with your workers and review information from workplace inspections, MVI investigations, and close-call reports. What worked and what didn’t? Were the safe work procedures effective in eliminating or reducing winter driving risk? What hazards did you not foresee? What were typical close calls and how could these be prevented? Did you see an improvement in safety over past years? Analyze results from your review, and use them to plan for next year.

Re-assess winter driving risks and safe work procedures based on this past winter’s experience. Review Winter Driving Hazards to identify additional control measures you might use.

If new winter driving hazards were identified, review the measures that were put in place to eliminate or reduce the risks, and modify if necessary.

 

2. Plan, Budget and Prepare for Next Winter

a. Identify ways to minimize or eliminate the need for winter driving. Investigate technological solutions, review work processes, discuss alternative work arrangements with clients or customers.

 

b. Schedule post-winter maintenance for your fleet vehicles. Instruct your workers who drive their personal vehicles for work to do the same.

 

c. Consider the need for new or additional winter tires for your fleet vehicles.

 

d. Review your existing policy that covers winter driving, or develop a winter safe driving policy. Make sure it covers all workers who may drive while at work, even occasional drivers and those driving their own vehicles. Start from this sample policy.

 

e. Review the winter driving skills of workers who drive for work to identify those who may benefit from driver training next winter.

 

f. Based on the results of your evaluation of this year’s winter driving program, develop an action plan for next winter. Review your plan with your supervisors, safety representatives, and workers.

 

g. Plan and budget for:

  • Winter tires
  • Vehicle survival kits
  • Winter driving training
  • Worker communications

 

h. See the Annual Planning Calendar for next season’s winter prep activities. Set a date 2 to 3 months before winter conditions typically begin to view Before Winter and start preparations for next winter.

 

It’s never too early to develop your winter strategy. Avoid getting caught in the storm! Follow the links below to get started on your winter strategy for next year.