Impact of Ice Hazards
The US National Safety Council tells us that at least 17,000 US residents die each year from falls of all kinds, including slip-and-fall injuries on ice.
Can you walk safely on the ice in winter?
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report the number of deaths at 17,000 annually – a lot of fatalities.
Further, one in every three people ages 65+ fall each year on all surfaces throughout the United States and Canada.
Aging populations that fall more often than average make ice safety more important in terms of pain and suffering, along with rising healthcare costs. Lots of children fall and become injured on the ice as well.
According to the Workers Compensation Fund, slip and fall injuries on ice and snow account for 80% of all slip and fall deaths in America. These fatal ice falls rank as the second most frequent cause of accidental deaths in the nation, A full 50% of falls happen in parking lots and on sidewalks during morning hours.
The Toronto Rehabilitation Institute supports a dedicated WinterLab to study falling in subzero temperatures and in moderate gusts of wind.
The mission of the lab is to reduce the number of slip and fall injuries and deaths across Canada, with intent to share this inforation with the USA.
For safety checklists and simple, inexpensive safety devices for yourself, your family, or your employees, check out the facts at:
