FACTS
- Snow falls at 1 to 6 feet per second.
- It doesn’t take long for the temperature to drop.
- More than 22 million tons of salt are used on u.s. roads each winter.
- Cities are forced to dispose of snow in creative ways.
- There’s a difference between freezing rain and sleet
STATS
- Exposure to severe winter weather and cold temperatures can lead to serious injury and even death. The cold snap of January 2019 that brought record-breaking low temperatures resulted in the deaths of 22 individuals. For those working outdoors, especially, winter weather conditions can bring severe and chilling dangers, including slip and fall accidents, cold stress, and exposure-related injuries.
- According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), in 2017, there were over 20,000 occupational injuries related to ice, sleet and snow.
- According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), slips, trips and falls account for 20 % of all workplace injuries. In addition, slip and falls make up 15 % of all accidental deaths, second only to motor vehicle accidents.
- Across the U.S., deaths attributed to hypothermia or prolonged exposure to excessive cold have increased steadily in recent years. According to recent estimates, more than 1,000 people die of cold exposure in the U.S. every year.
- The Federal Highway Administration reported 1,300 people are killed and more than 116,800 injuries due to snowy, slushy, and icy pavement every year. Nearly 900 people are killed and 76,000 are injured during snowfall or sleet.
- In 2014, there were 42,480 workplace injuries and illnesses involving ice, sleet, or snow that required at least one day away from work to recuperate. These resulted from falls, slips or trips; overexertion and bodily reaction; transportation incidents; and contact with objects and equipment. Among these injuries and illnesses were 34,860, or 82 percent, that were due to falls on the same level (that is, not from falls from heights or through surfaces).