Snow removal can be a hazardous activity that puts both you and your employees at risk, including back injuries and heart attacks. Before beginning this work, be sure to consult your physician first.
No matter if your business remains open during a pandemic or not, customers and staff will expect ongoing safety protocols long after Covid-19 is no longer relevant. Here are five tips to keep everyone safe.
Wear the Right Gear
Snow removal requires special tools and equipment. A proper winter work attire communicates to both employees and the public that your company takes its job seriously and values everyone’s safety.
As soon as a worker arrives on site, he or she should wear an effective head covering such as a hat or specially-designed ear muffs to provide effective cold/wind protection as well as UV rays that may increase in intensity during winter.
Shoveling is an activity requiring moderate to high intensity, so wearing the appropriate footwear is crucial for minimizing weight transfer injuries and to preventing slips and falls. A shoe with firm traction should also help avoid injuries from slips or falls.
As winter’s shorter daylight hours increase the importance of visibility. Therefore, crew members should wear reflective clothing on their shoulders and back, in addition to using flashing lights to alert travelers of their presence and encourage drivers to reduce speed when passing.
Don’t Forget About Pedestrians
Maintaining clear sidewalks, walkways, and parking lots not only reduces slip-and-fall risks but also shows customers that your business is open for business. No one wants to trudge through snowbanks just to reach you store; in fact it may turn them away altogether.
Failure to clear away snow and ice from sidewalks and crosswalks after snowfall creates a hazardous environment for pedestrians with mobility challenges, especially after it rains. Therefore, many communities employ police, public works staff, and inspectors as a combination to monitor snow removal on commercial properties and issue citations to those that fail to do so in accordance with regulation.
When choosing a snow removal service for your commercial property, prioritize those that have experience dealing with shopping centers and office buildings. They must be capable of responding swiftly during snowfall to maintain safe access for tenants while having the equipment required to work safely on roofs and other elevated surfaces.
Don’t Forget About Vehicles
Snow removal can be a physically demanding job in cold conditions. Businesses must ensure employees remain safe by hiring professional snow removal companies to clear parking lots and walkways – when people can easily get from their vehicles to businesses’ doorsteps, more customers visit.
Leaving multiple cars on the street during a snowstorm puts them in the way of snow plows and other vehicles trying to clear roadways, creating hazards for both parties involved. Traveling too closely behind a snow plow could pose risks both to yourself and its driver.
Reputable snow removal companies ensure they have sufficient insurance to cover property damage caused during their snow removal processes. While keeping up with insurance costs can eat into small profit margins of many snow removal services, it remains an expense worth incurring to ensure everyone involved remains safe.
Don’t Forget About Icicles
As snow melts, it can quickly transform into an icy surface, increasing the risk of injury for workers and passersby alike. To minimize this risk, it is vital that each job be preplanned by marking any hydrants, drop-offs or curbs that might become covered during snow removal while using salt or sand on any areas covered in ice that need clearing so as to slow further accumulation and provide some traction.
snow removal can be an extremely physically demanding endeavor for anyone taking part, with all that bending and lifting putting workers at risk of orthopedic injuries, back strains or even heart attacks due to cold temperatures constricting blood vessels and increasing heart rates putting additional stress on their bodies. If symptoms such as fatigue, chest pains or difficulty breathing arise while snow clearing, it is vitally important that they seek medical assistance immediately and stop working immediately before continuing to remove snow.
If there is a winter storm and you need more help, here is how to tackle it.