How to Prevent Slip-and-Fall Claims at Your Business This Winter

Snow & Winter · Published September 15, 2026

Winter slip-and-fall claims are one of the biggest avoidable liabilities a London business faces. The good news: nearly all of them are preventable with the right snow and ice program. Here's how to protect your property, your customers and yourself.

Ice Is the Real Enemy

Most winter falls happen on ice, not fresh snow — a cleared lot that refreezes overnight, an untreated walkway, a downspout that drains across a path. Plowing alone doesn't prevent falls; salting and de-icing do. Any serious commercial snow program treats ice control as equally important to clearing.

Clear Before People Arrive

A lot cleared and salted before opening is a lot where nobody falls on their way in. High-traffic entrances, accessible parking spaces and the main walkways are the priority zones. Timing the service to your opening hours is central to a commercial contract.

Document Everything

If a claim is filed, your defence is proof that the property was maintained. Time-stamped, photo-confirmed records of each clearing and salting visit show you acted reasonably. Contractors who provide this documentation give you a real paper trail — we cover how on our commercial snow removal page.

Don't Rely on the Forecast

Freezing rain and melt-refreeze cycles create ice without a big snowfall. A property that only gets attention after heavy snow will have icy gaps. Monitoring and salting on ice triggers — not just snow triggers — closes those gaps.

Insurance and Contractors

Use a contractor who carries liability insurance and WSIB coverage, so their work is backed and their workers are covered. We explain why that matters in our post on insurance and WSIB. Together, reliable clearing, salting, documentation and a properly insured contractor turn winter liability from a threat into a managed cost. See our commercial snow removal page to scope your property.