This is the first in a four-part series of SFM blogs recapping our November 2024 webinar, De-escalation in the workplace, An SFM webinar for policyholders.

More than 20,000 private-industry workers experienced nonfatal workplace violence in 2020, according to a 2024 report from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

That’s why de-escalation in the workplace is so important.

In November 2024, SFM held a webinar focused on de-escalation. Dana Mickelson, SFM Loss Prevention Specialist, kicked off the presentation by:

• Defining workplace violence
• Discussing the prevalence of workplace violence and injuries
• Defining de-escalation

“It is important to recognize that such violence can have broader implications beyond workers’ compensation,” said Mickelson, who has 21 years of experience in the field.

Mickelson further outlines categories of workplace violence:

• Criminal intent
• Incidents between customers and clients (most common)
• Worker on worker violence (workplace or interpersonal conflicts)
• Physical relationships (spouses or significant others)

“All categories could result in workers’ compensation claims, depending on the factors of the incident,” Mickelson said.

Health care and school environments more likely to see workplace violence, she said, relaying injury data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, including days missed based on workplace violence incidents. Mickelson also cited SFM claims data, which aligns with national trends.

There are certain factors that contribute to workplace violence, including working alone, working in areas with a high crime rate, jobs where alcohol is served and others.

Lastly, Mickelson provided a definition of de-escalation: The process of managing others’ behaviors using several tactics, including verbal and non-verbal communication.

Check out the complete recording of webinar, and keep an eye out for future blogs highlighting other sections of the presentation.

Throughout the colder months of the year, you must continuously be wary of the dangers of slipping on the snow and ice.

And this is especially true at the tail end of winter. Warmer weather may lull you into a false sense of security, but thawing and refreezing can make roads and walkways even more treacherous.

Each year, hundreds of employees insured by SFM report falling because of snow and ice — it’s one of the most common causes of injuries.

In fact, about 674,000 cases of falls, slips and trips were reported by private employers 2021-22, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), with many of those incidents requiring employees to miss work because of the incident.

According to SFM claims data, 25 percent of ice- and snow-related falls occur in parking lots and 20 percent of slips and falls that occur in parking lots result in lost time from work.

Meanwhile, SFM estimates the average winter slip-and-fall lost-time claim costs range from $50,000 to $55,000. The costs — direct and indirect — mount quickly and can’t be ignored.

“Slips and falls during winter can be a major issue for worker safety,” said Director of Loss Prevention Lee Wendel. “But both workers and employers can take steps to mitigate the dangers and stay safe all winter long.”

Staying safe from slips and falls

Employee injuries sustained in falls are costly. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health says workers’ compensation and medical costs associated with workplace fall incidents have been estimated at $70 billion annually in the U.S.

Despite the perils of getting around during winter, there are many preventive measures employers can implement to decrease the chance of on-the-job injuries.

• Make sure gutters and downspouts flow away from walkways to avoid the dangerous freeze-thaw-refreeze cycle
• Redirect any water flowing on walkways to avoid puddles
• Treat walkways at high-hazard times and warn employees about potential hazards
• Manage snow piles near walkways to avoid melting snow refreezing to ice
• Plow snow below the grade of walkways to minimize downward flow
• Repair walkways to eliminate uneven surfaces that collect water and ice
• Designate safe paths of travel to and from building to discourage potentially dangerous shortcuts

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) reports that trips, slips and falls are the second-most common cause of workplace injury. Also, 20-30 percent of workplace falls result in a moderate or severe injury, including deep bruising, broken bones and concussions.

These incidents can be even more serious. According to the most recent data from the BLS, work-related fatalities due to falls, slips, and trips have increased in recent years:

• 805 fatalities in 2020
• 850 fatalities in 2021
• 865 fatalities in 2022
• 885 fatalities in 2023

About 20 percent of all workplace deaths are attributed to slips, trips and falls, per OSHA.

Employers must ensure walking surfaces at the workplace are free of snow and ice, according to OSHA safety standards.

Remind employees about winter hazards using SFM resources

With a few simple precautions, falls on snow and ice resulting in costly injuries can be easily avoided. Employee awareness is key.

“It’s important to keep reminding employees of the risks of winter slips and falls, and how to avoid them, throughout the season,” Wendel said. “We’ve tried to make that easy for employers by offering a variety of different resources.”

Consider some tips from SFM:

• Do the penguin shuffle: Focus on your footing, walk flat-footed, take short steps to keep your center of balance over your feet
• Take it slow: Walk slowly on snow and ice to avoid a slip
• Wear proper footwear for the weather: Choose footwear with non-slip soles, deep treads and wide, low heels; add cleats or traction footwear for extra grip
• Carry only what you can: Carrying less or using a bag or backpack decreases your chance of falling — and keeps your hands free if you do
• Watch for changing conditions: Monitor the weather; cycles of freezing, melting and re-freezing are especially dangerous
• Don’t be distracted: Put your cellphone away while walking and focus on where you’re going
• Step down, not out, from curbs and cars: Falls in parking lots are common — step flat-footed off curbs, step down with both feet when exiting your vehicle
• Walk on marked paths and avoid short cuts: Short cuts are likely to be icy and put you in danger of slipping
• Report icy conditions: Tell a supervisor or maintenance person if you spot slippery areas so they can shovel or salt problem areas
• Spread salt on ice: If you spot a slippery area and salt is available, spread it yourself

These tips and being aware of winter conditions can go a long way toward ensuring a winter spent upright and safe.

“Winter in the Upper Midwest often extends into early spring,” Wendel said. “By taking the necessary precautions and staying vigilant, workers can remain safe.”

Originally posted January 2018; updated February 2025.

It might surprise employers to learn that the recent advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) have applications in workplace safety.

But this technology has been harnessed of late to expand the ability of safety leaders to train employees, test methods, develop best practices and more.

Imagine a piece of equipment a new employee will be using. Instead of training with the machine itself, employers can give workers the ability to “use” the device without the potential for injury. In this way, employees can get a degree of “on-the-job training” without risk.

“It’s exciting to envision the future applications for AI when it comes to workplace safety,” said Lee Wendel, SFM’s Director of Loss Prevention. “Already, some employers are utilizing the technology. Others are researching how it could be used. It’s fascinating to see and project how much it will develop moving forward.”

Wendel has embraced this evolution. He was recently honored by a regional furniture retailer for his safety efforts. Company officials noted his dedication to demonstrating and educating leadership about virtual training, ergonomic position trackers and other AI solutions.

At the same time, similar practices are being implemented elsewhere.

The National Safety Council has several real-world case studies related to virtual reality and augmented reality (AR). In one instance, a technology-focused defense, intelligence, security and infrastructure engineering firm used a VR program during employee orientation. The simulation involved identifying workplace hazards. The results included increased employee engagement, efficiencies by reducing the need for in-person trainers and, of course, a greatly reduced chance of injury during training.

Wendel said the speed, accuracy and breadth of the information some of these programs provide is impressive. Examples include:

• Giving the software a photo of a workspace and having the program outline safety issues, whether those would result in an Occupational Safety and Health Administration fine, the frequency and costs of those fines, and how to address any hazards.
• Uploading a picture of scaffolding where wood was used to frame up handrails. The tool will outline the risks and suggest ways to fix the problem.
• Giving the software a jurisdiction-specific prompt, such as patient handling in a parking lot in Minnesota. The system provided state-specific laws to note, weather considerations and other information.

“Employers can even provide their company policies — maybe an area on a warehouse floor cannot be used to store items — and the tool will take that into account, along with any safety issues, when it comes back with the information,” Wendel said.

In November 2024, SFM Loss Prevention Specialists Jason Clausen and Toby Tortorilla discussed safety technology they are exploring at the Midwest Women in Safety Conference.

Tortorilla participated in a panel discussion relating to the future of AI in relation to the safety field. He was able to provide findings from the research that he, and a team of SFM Loss Prevention personnel, were involved in recently.

“AI can be used in many ways to assist us as safety leaders,” Tortorilla said. “It can help create safety programs and policies, assist with ergonomic assessments, perform compliance and behavioral based assessments and bring attention to real-time hazards through wearables, telematics and other electronic devices. The capabilities are truly limitless.”

Cold, snowy and icy weather are coming soon. As the weather brings colder and more slippery conditions, it’s a good time to remind your employees to walk carefully when outdoors.

Our new video for employees aims to catch their attention and remind them of the dangers they face when walking through parking lots in winter weather.

Parking lot slips and falls are a common source of work-related injuries during the winter months, and exercising caution can help your employees avoid nasty accidents.

We offer many resources on our winter slips and falls page you can use to prevent these types of injuries among your employees.

Other considerations for parking lot slips and falls

Every state’s law is different, but typically employers are required to provide safe routes for employees from their vehicles into work.

This means if an employee is injured by tripping and falling in the designated parking lot on the way into or out from work, it could be considered a work injury, making the employee eligible for workers’ compensation medical and wage loss benefits.

It’s not uncommon, and the injuries are often serious.

Injuries aren’t just bad for your employees. Having a lot of claims can negatively affect your costs as an employer, too.

Keep parking lots maintained

It’s very important to make sure that parking lots are well-maintained — cleared of snow and ice in the winter and free of cracks and other trip hazards.

Make employees aware of hazards

Your employees can also play a role in avoiding slip-and-fall injuries by walking carefully and wearing appropriate footwear. See SFM’s winter slip-and-fall prevention page for posters, table tents and other resources you can use to keep fall prevention top of mind for employees.

Originally posted October 2027; updated January 2025.

It probably comes as no surprise that winter can be a hazardous time for employees.

Between slips and falls, challenging driving conditions, extreme cold, shoveling and more, there are several additional dangers to consider as the weather turns colder. However, there are a number of steps employers can take to prevent injuries among their workers.

That’s why SFM has compiled a wealth of resources to help keep employees safe during winter. Be sure to share these resources with your safety leaders, employees and others.

Winter-proof your workplace to stop slips and falls

Follow these steps to get your employees ready for the risks of winter weather and cut down on slips and falls in the workplace.

11 common sense tips for safe winter weather driving

Follow these tips to keep safe while driving in snowy and icy winter weather.

Prepare to prevent winter slips and falls

Winter slips and falls are among the most common causes of workplace injuries. As an employer, there’s a great deal you can do to prevent these injuries at your workplace.

Four quick tips for safe snow shoveling this winter

Follow these four tips to reduce the risk of injuries while shoveling snow, so you can get back inside safely.

Easy way to avoid winter falls: Step down, not out.

Using the “Step down, not out” method when getting out of a vehicle or stepping off a curb forces you to stand up or step flat footed, eliminating the chances of slipping.

Safety video: Avoid slipping this winter

Watch this video to learn how to avoid slipping and sliding this winter.

Lastly, be sure to check out additional items related to winter safety in the SFM Resource Catalog.

Each year, thousands of employees are the victims of workplace violence.

More than 20,000 private industry workers experienced nonfatal workplace violence in 2020, according to a 2024 report from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).

Of those, 22% required 31 or more days away from work to recover and another 22% involved 3-5 days off of work. Even more sobering, nearly 400 U.S. employees died from workplace homicide in 2020, according to NIOSH.

That’s why de-escalation in the workplace is so important. The technique is vital when confronted with violent or aggressive behavior.

According to professionals , de-escalation means “transferring your sense of calm and genuine interest in what an individual wants to tell you by using respectful, clear, limit-setting boundaries.” In short, de-escalation is the process of managing someone else’s behavior with your own.

Workplace violence can take many forms, including any act or threat of physical violence, harassment, intimidation and other threatening disruptive behavior.

Industries and de-escalation

Two industries more likely to see workplace violence are educational services and health care and social assistance.

SFM’s own claims data from 2019 through 2023 showed that those two industries accounted for about 95 percent of such incidents. In the health care field specifically, employees are five times as likely to experience workplace violence as other types of workers.

See additional SFM resources for de-escalation.

De-escalation tactics

While specific threats vary among industries, Jason Clausen, a Loss Prevention Specialist at SFM, said many de-escalation tactics apply universally.

“These tactics all require a state of calm, and operate around the cornerstone of active listening,” he said.

General de-escalation tactics that apply universally include:

• Respecting personal space
• Maintaining safe body positioning
• Giving clear, concise direction
• Setting obvious boundaries
• Conveying empathy
• Establishing positive tone of voice

Safety programs

Beyond de-escalation tactics themselves, employers can also take steps to mitigate workplace violence by crafting safety programs.

Generally, building a successful safety program involves four steps.

1. Set safety goals

Focus on safe behaviors rather than risky ones. Choose goals that relate to safety indicators — such as de-escalation training sessions.

The best behaviors to observe are those that will prevent injuries from happening. Review your injury records to look for any trends. This will give you a place to start.

2. Use positive recognition

When you’re observing workplace safety, take the time to recognize employees who follow proper protocols. This can be done verbally, or you can consider some sort of reward program.

3. Get employees involved

Encourage workers to participate, give them roles and give them the freedom to discuss safety challenges and successes with others.

4. Respond to employee concerns

If you have employees reporting safety concerns to you that go unanswered, the program will lose momentum, as well as credibility.

Create an environment in which employees feel comfortable bringing safety issues to their superiors and won’t fear reprisal for making suggestions. Also encourage leadership to demonstrate their support of your safety program.

You’ve probably heard that too much sitting is bad for your health.

According to the Mayo Clinic , sitting for long periods of time is linked with obesity and metabolic syndrome, as well as an increase in the risk of death from cardiovascular disease and cancer. Sitting for too long can also increase pain by tightening muscles and stiffening joints.

What can you do if you spend your workdays at a desk? The answer is simple — take frequent breaks and find ways to sit less.

Take steps to sit less

The good news is there are many steps you and your employees can take to break down the culture of prolonged sitting.

Here are four ideas for reducing chair time.

Get up and move

Find the time to move and stretch throughout the workday. Give yourself a time limit in your chair and make it a priority to stand up and give your body a break from sitting. Check out our Get up and Move poster for ideas of stretches you can do in a few minutes.

Make exercise part of your routine

Even smaller amounts of exercise can benefit your health and well-being. Exercise is cumulative, so three 10-minute walks spread throughout the day are as valuable as one 30-minute walk. Plus, you can always break up your day by moving around.

“I always suggest getting up and walking around briefly every so often,” said Mike Fetting, SFM Loss Prevention Specialist. “Bathroom. Water. Coffee. Printer. Neighbor. Don’t do all your ‘errands’ at once.”

Walk and talk

Before you gather around a table for that next meeting, consider combining it with a walk outside or around your workplace. If you’re working from home, maybe you can walk around your house during conference calls.

Be aware of how much time you and your coworkers spend sitting

Start a friendly challenge to see who can get the most steps in. Make it a goal to learn which activities you can perform while standing or on the move.

With a combined approach and a little creativity, you can significantly reduce the amount of time you and your employees spend in a sedentary position and get on a path toward better health.

If you’d like more ideas, see our Get Up and Move page for videos and posters with stretches you can do at your desk, and many more free resources.

Originally published April 2020; updated November 2024.

This is the final piece in our four-part series of SFM blogs recapping our June 2024 webinar, Driving Safety, An SFM webinar for policyholders .

The fundamental workers’ compensation issues associated with unsafe driving were outlined in several portions of SFM’s webinar.

But what about the legal consequences?

Tom Davern, Senior Defense Counsel at SFM’s in-house law firm, who has nearly 20 years of experience in the field, examined several legal aspects of a driving incident for employers to consider, including so-called vicarious liability, which means that that the vehicle’s legal owner is legally responsible for the alleged negligence of an allowed driver.

Highlights of Davern’s portion of the webinar also include:

• Liability of the driver and lawsuits
• No-fault laws
• Negligence and its implications
• Specific examples

You can also view the complete recording of webinar , and be sure to check out previous blogs in our series:

• Part I: Safe driving data
• Part II: The work comp claims process following a driving incident
• Part III: Managing safe driving at work

Lastly, you can find previous SFM workers’ compensation webinars on our website.

This is the third in a four-part series of SFM blogs recapping our June 2024 webinar, Driving Safety, An SFM webinar for policyholders .

Employers know that save driving is important, but how can they convey that to workers and ensure those practices are put into place?

Answering that question during SFM’s safe driving webinar was Jason Clausen, Loss Prevention Specialist.

“Managing your driving exposure has similarities to other hazards you manage in the workplace, but the consequences of a motor vehicle accident can be significant,” said Clausen, who is also a reserve deputy sheriff in Iowa. “It is common knowledge that driving is hazardous and even the safest drivers can have a bad day on the road. Knowing how to create a driving program, set expectations, provide training and uphold your safe driving expectations goes a long way in helping reduce the risks while driving.”

Clausen’s presentation touched on eight key points regarding managing safe driving for the workplace:

• Organizational commitment to safe driving
• Having written policies and procedures in place
• Selecting safe drivers
• Creating signed agreements for safe driving
• Ensuring strong processes for vehicle selection, maintenance and inspection
• Establishing a crash reporting and inspection process
• Crafting a disciplinary action system
• Providing driving training

Meanwhile, he also talked about specific scenarios, safe driving techniques, modern tools for safety and more.

Check out the complete recording of webinar , and keep an eye out for other blogs highlighting sections of the presentation.

• Part I: Safe driving data
• Part II: Work comp claims process following a driving incident 

Lastly, you can find previous SFM workers’ compensation webinars on our website.