During winter, many things must be done to maintain and protect your commercial property against cold weather hazards. One of those things is commercial snow removal. Whenever snow falls at your commercial property, you need to move it to ensure your building and parking lot are safe and accessible for your clients and visitors. Clearing the snow away can also protect the structural integrity of your commercial building.
Early in the season, when snowfall is light, commercial snow removal is relatively straightforward. However, snow can accumulate as winter progresses, and ice can make the ground slippery and unsafe. Suddenly, what was once a simple service becomes much more complex. Here are some tips for safe and successful commercial snow removal:
Every state has different snow removal laws, including height limits for snow mounds when plowing on commercial properties. Even if your snow mounds are within height limits, ensure you can safely drive and park around them. Verify that a driver can see pedestrians, standing obstacles, and moving vehicles without obstructing his view. Click Here to view an example.
White-out conditions can obscure obstacles that would otherwise stand out. Ensure parked cars and dumpsters are not in the path where you are depositing your snow mounds.
Clear and mark a specific area where plows will move snow. It is crucial to keep the mound of snow away from any structures or equipment on the site so that the snow is not pushed into the building or causes water leaks when it melts.
You never know when the next big snowfall is going to hit. So be sure to stock up on ice control products in advance, have backup shovels on hand, and have gas available for snowblowers.
It is not unusual to see double-digit and sometimes triple-digit snowfall accumulations in Northern Utah. Unfortunately, no matter how prepared you are to move the snow, you may still run out of space. So instead, look for offsite options to move the excess snow. Using a snow melter may also reduce pile-ups. Ensuring that your snow piles are in the best area by planning in warm weather seasons will ensure an optimal Winter experience for your employees and clients. Other considerations are placing the pile in proximity to, but not directly on top of, irrigation storm water grates well help with proper drainage, when it melts. Commercial snow removal with Rubicon takes all of these things into consideration when creating your custom plan.
Ice can cause people to slip and fall and cars to lose control and crash. To avoid this altogether, use de-icing materials preemptively and often. Salt or other snow melting solvents can be used before the storm to help prevent ice from forming in the first place. Especially if the storm forecast calls for rain before freezing temperatures, pre-applying the walk paths with ice melt is a best practice. Doing so might even alleviate your need remove excess snow at all in some instances. Caution should always be considered when walking on wet roads or walkways, but salting your walking paths and outdoor high-traffic areas may prevent a potential legal issue in the future.
With all the other work you have to do to manage your commercial property, dealing with snow removal can feel like a whole new laundry list of logistics. Fortunately, our snow removal experts at Rubicon apply all the above techniques, so you don't have to! As the largest commercial snow removal team in the state, we are well equipped to keep your commercial lot safe and snow/ice-free! Click Here to learn more.
