What Does the Farmer's Almanac Say About the Coming Winter?
Every year around this time the Farmer's Almanac and the Old Farmer's Almanac (yes, there are two of them!) release their forecasts for the coming winter.
Every year around this time the Farmer's Almanac and the Old Farmer's Almanac (yes, there are two of them!) release their forecasts for the coming winter. Will it be colder than normal in the Midwest? Will there be more insane blizzards in New England? Will the Mid Atlantic see significant and sustained ice coverage? Farmer's need to know these things and for literally hundreds of years these publications have been offering their prognostications.
But unlike a farmer, a Safety Director doesn't need this information.
Or to be more specific, they shouldn't be willing to make decisions off of this information.
If you live in an area that is prone to low temperatures and the resulting snow and ice that comes with it, can you really afford to leave your workers unprotected on the chance that it's a mild Winter? I'm guessing the answer is no.
Can you imagine filling out the accident report after that first unexpected ice storm causes several slip and fall accidents and stating that the organization was not prepared because the almanac advised that it would be a mild winter? I think the tea leaves might also have some advice; better start looking for a new job.
Yes of course the Safety Director is responsible for making sure that his company's employees are protected from seasonal risks like slips and fall on ice and snow. But the year to year fluctuation in temperature and precipitation should have little to no effect on planning. If your employees work in an area that is susceptible to ice and snow you should have a slip and fall prevention program in place. Ice cleats, ice spikes, gritted footwear and the like along with comprehensive training and communication should be the norm year after year, no matter what the almanac says.
And oh by the way....it says this one will be a doozy.