When winter hits, field and lone workers face new challenges. Cold temperatures, snow, and shortened daylight create conditions where even simple tasks can now become complicated. For employees in healthcare, utilities, social services, and inspection roles, the conditions have changed. Roads are icy, walkways are icy – it's just plain icy.
The season cannot be avoided, but it can be managed. With careful preparation, clear communication, and reliable tools, organizations can keep their workers safe, connected, and confident through the toughest winter months.
The Season of New Risks: Why Winter Demands Extra Vigilance
Winter conditions amplify many workplace hazards. Snow-covered roads, icy surfaces, and freezing winds make travel and outdoor work unpredictable. Low visibility further increases danger for workers traveling or responding to emergencies in remote areas.
Lone workers often operate without immediate assistance, so small issues can escalate quickly. Employers have a legal and ethical responsibility to ensure their safety. Taking a fresh look at incident response, communication protocols, and monitoring systems before the season begins helps mitigate these challenges.
Remaining “safe and connected” should be a guiding principle - one that balances your operation’s readiness with a focus on your team’s wellbeing
Reviewing Policies and Compliance Expectations
Across North America, occupational health and safety regulations require employers to assess hazards and provide appropriate protections for workers who operate alone. In the United States, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) expects employers to identify and control environmental risks and ensure effective communication methods are in place. In Canada, similar standards appear across federal and provincial occupational health and safety frameworks, which often call for check-ins and established emergency contact procedures.
As conditions change with the season, safety policies should evolve too. Employers can strengthen their winter readiness by confirming that communication, escalation, and monitoring practices meet current regulations. Reviewing protocols together with workers helps ensure compliance while building confidence that safety remains central to their organization’s culture.
Winter Readiness Begins with Reliable Equipment
Cold weather is tough on technology and gear. Batteries drain quickly, touchscreens stiffen, and mechanical parts seize in freezing temperatures. Regular equipment checks are crucial for field teams and lone workers alike.
This review should include everything from protective clothing and footwear to electronic safety devices and mobile phones. It is also wise to run test alerts on wearable panic buttons and mobile check-ins to verify reliability. These brief tests confirm that both the worker and the monitoring system are ready for the conditions ahead.
SolusGuard’s connected safety tools - wearable panic buttons, check-in features, and centralized dashboards - allow organizations to verify that lines of communication remain strong, regardless of weather. These technologies not only help teams respond faster during emergencies but also provide assurance that every worker is accounted for, no matter how remote the assignment.
Strengthening Communication Habits
Technology only works effectively when paired with good communication habits. Winter provides a natural checkpoint for refreshing these routines. Consistent check-ins, clear expectations for shift starts and ends, and brief safety drills can dramatically improve oversight and confidence across the team.
Supervisors should encourage open discussion about what’s working and where processes can improve. Sharing real examples - such as service technicians stuck on remote roads or healthcare workers making home visits - helps teams prepare for potential scenarios before they happen.
Automated check-ins take the guesswork out of safety. They ensure every worker is accounted for without relying solely on manual calls or texts that get missed during busy shifts. When check-ins happen automatically, supervisors can focus on response and prevention instead of tracking confirmations.
Creating a Practical Winter Safety Checklist with SolusGuard:
Organizations that maintain shared winter-readiness checklists - digital or printable - ensure consistency across teams and job sites. A culture of small, repeated actions builds both confidence and collective accountability. Here are some simple steps your team can take to ensure your workers are protected this winter:
Step 1: Know the Rules
Every great defense starts with a plan. Make sure you understand your company’s lone worker policies and regulations. Knowing what’s required and what to do when things get tough helps ensure everyone returns home safely at the end of the day.
If anything feels uncertain, ask your manager. The best leaders know that safety is a team effort.
Step 2: Check Your Equipment
A few minutes of prep can mean the difference between confidence and chaos when it matters most.
Before your next shift:
- Confirm your contacts have correct phone numbers.
- Check for the red banner. It means your app needs an update.
- Make sure your panic button and satellite device are charged and connected.
- Managers, double-check your team information in both the web and mobile apps.
Step 3: Do a Test!
The best way to master your tools is to use them.
Run a quick test alert or check-in. It’s simple, takes seconds, and builds the kind of confidence that keeps you calm under pressure.
Step 4: Get Help
If something isn’t working or you just need a quick refresher, visit the SolusGuard Help Center.
And if you need a real person, call 1-888-651-6510 or email tech@solusguard.com.
Confidence Grows from Preparation
Winter will always bring uncertainty, but preparation turns uncertainty into confidence. Companies that take proactive steps now - reviewing policies, testing communication systems, maintaining equipment, and reinforcing team protection - reduce risk and strengthen trust with their employees.
SolusGuard’s mission centers on making this process easier and more effective. By combining reliable wearable safety devices, mobile check-ins, and real-time monitoring dashboards, organizations can stay confident that their workers are protected wherever winter takes them.
For safety leaders, the message is clear: review your systems, engage your teams, and refine your communication protocols before the first snow falls. Preparation is the difference between reacting to risk and leading with safety.