Cold weather hazards often accompany winter weather. Safe commercial snow removal should be a priority if snow accumulates on your commercial property.
Whenever you’re dealing with snow, safety is one of the most important things to keep in mind when searching for snow removal Chicago services for your home or business.
Clearing parking lots, stairways, and sidewalks are a crucial part of ensuring your employees’ and customers’ safety. But, when snow begins to accumulate, its clearing also contributes to the preservation of your commercial property’s structural integrity.
In the beginning, snow removal services may appear to be a process that is easy and quick. However, as the season goes on and the snow piles up, the inclusion of ice may mean frozen snow and slippery surfaces.
In an instant, removing your property’s snow pile may become more dangerous and complicated.
Successful Commercial Snow Removal
When you have not done the appropriate planning nor possess the right tools, any DIY attempt to remove major amounts of ice and snow from your property can be disastrous.
Prior to hitting your property with a shovel and/or snow blower, take these tips into consideration to successfully and safely remove snow from your commercial property.
Know Your State And Local Snow Removal Ordinances
States and cities have ordinances governing snow accumulation and commercial property removal. Some rules may include snow mound height limits, how to move snow, and where snow mounds can be located on your commercial property.
Be Familiar With the Environment
Before and as snow falls, remember where the varied objects on your property are located.
Certain equipment, parking blocks, dumpsters, and vehicles might become buried underneath heavier snowfall. If you would rather not plow into or over them, pay close attention to your surroundings as you manage your commercial property’s ice and snow.
Specify A Safe Area in Which you Can Pile Snow
Prior to the arrival of snowstorms, pinpoint an area on your commercial property that is safe for building snow mounds. Make certain such a space is located a reasonable distance from equipment and structures in order to be safe and not interfere with traffic.
Make sure you also designate backup areas that are able to accommodate any additional snow that may require moving. Keep in mind the water created by melting ice and snow will need to flow somewhere on your property.
Be Sure to Have Insurance that Protects Your Business
Your commercial property can suffer great destruction from winter weather. Ice, snow, and wind may impede traffic and damage structures, creating conditions that are unsafe for your customers and employees.
Make certain your commercial insurance policy will provide protection for your company if winter storms cause damage.
Prepare In Advance For Both Snow Storms And Snow Removal
Although it is hard to know when a major snowstorm may arrive, you may plan in advance in order to be properly prepared. Any winter storm should incorporate having sufficient gas for snowblowers, ice-control products, and backup shovels.
Include in your commercial emergency response strategy a snowstorm plan that makes certain employees are trained and prepared to assist in the minimization of hazards and the management of snowfall.
In the case of many companies, it is wise to reach out to a professional commercial or residential snow removal service so they may evaluate the best snow removal practices for your property.