The official start of winter on December 21^st is a good reminder to prepare your Lodge for winter weather. Depending where your Lodge is located, this means different preparations. If you live further south in the United States where snow is infrequent, consider stocking up on ice melt to be prepared in the event of freezing rain. If you are located somewhere that receives several feet of snow per year, arrange snow removal.

No matter where your Lodge is located, preparation to prevent common winter weather claims like slips and trips is important.

Avoid Common Winter Weather Claims—Slips and Trips

Unsurprisingly, ice is one of the most common causes of winter weather claims. Whether your Lodge sees ice once or once a week during the winter season, it is critical to take action against it.

If a member, guest, repair person or even a solicitor slips and falls on your Lodge’s property, they could sue you for any medical costs or damages they incur. From a broken wrist to a sprained ankle, falling on ice can be a serious liability exposure to your Lodge.

Slips and trips can happen almost anywhere on your Lodge’s property. From parking lots, walkways, stairs and cracked pathways, a little ice can cause a lot of harm. Ice can also cause items like decorations and tree branches to fall on your property and injure people.

Luckily it is fairly easy to maintain your property before and after ice hits.

Tips to Prevent Slips and Trips

• Always shovel snow and scrape ice after a storm, or hire professionals to do the work.
• Spread anti-ice material like sand or salt on walkways and stairs to make them less slippery.
• Ensure all handrails on outdoor stairways are sturdy and secure.
• Illuminate all parking lots, paths and walkways.
• Place mats in the entryway, so your Lodge’s floors don’t get slick.
• If the floor get wet, clean it quickly and place hazard signs around the area.
• Secure the right insurance coverage.

Even if your Lodge follows all prevention tips, there is a chance someone can get injured. Learn more about how insurance from Lockton Affinity can protect your Lodge and its members year-round.

Program is administered by Lockton Affinity, LLC d/b/a Lockton Affinity Insurance Brokers, LLC in California License #0795478. Coverage may not be available in all states and is subject to actual policy terms and conditions. Coverage may be provided by an excess/surplus lines insurer which is not licensed by or subject to the supervision of the insurance department of your state of residence. Policy coverage forms and rates may not be subject to regulation by the insurance department of your state of residence. Excess/surplus lines insurers do not generally participate in state guaranty funds and therefore insureds are not protected by such funds in the event of the insurer’s insolvency.