(PORTLAND, Maine) -- Roads, walks, stairs, and parking lots may be transformed into extremely hazardous surfaces on Friday with heavy rainfall followed by plummeting temperatures forecast across the Northeast, according to workers’ compensation insurance specialists MEMIC. 

The insurance company urges property owners and maintenance companies to apply salt and sand before temperatures fall below 37 degrees Fahrenheit, the point at which paved surfaces begin to ice over. Slips, trips, and falls are the third leading cause of workforce injuries, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

The Maine-based insurance company cited two slip-and-fall injuries from the past year that are expected to exceed $500,000 each in medical and replacement wage benefits. 

“Loss control professionals operate from the premise that most every injury is preventable,” Senior Vice President of External Affairs Tony Payne said. “This coming storm is expected to drop several inches of rain while temperatures are in the 50s, but the air will quickly turn frigid and remain below freezing for the next four or five days. That means extra caution and regular salting and sanding is required to keep roads, walks, steps, and parking lots free of ice.” 

Payne said slip-resistant footwear and ice cleats are additionally helpful in prevent slip injuries. 

For more information about slip-and-fall prevention, visit our Winter Slip, Trip and Fall Safety Tips blog post, the MEMIC Safety Net Blog, and the winter safety resource page at MEMIC.com. 

According to The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), slips, trips, and falls were collectively the third leading cause of work-related injuries treated in emergency departments, accounting for 27 percent of 888,220 nonfatal work injuries that resulted in days away from work in 2019. 

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About MEMIC
The MEMIC Group includes MEMIC Indemnity Company, MEMIC Casualty Company, and parent company Maine Employers’ Mutual Insurance Company; all rated “A” (Excellent) by A.M. Best. The MEMIC Group holds licenses to write workers’ compensation across the entire country. The group insures and serves more than 20,000 employers and their estimated 300,000 employees with dedicated safety and injury management service teams from Maine to Florida.