Commercial businesses have a lot of responsibility for dealing with the ice and snow generated by winter storms. Not only do they have a legal obligation to keep their employees and customers safe, but they also have to prevent winter storm damage to their property. Fortunately, there are many actions you can take to help make snow and ice management much easier. Here are a few suggestions.
1 – Make Sure Drains and Gutters Are Clear
Before any large storm, you should inspect the drains and gutters on your roof to ensure that they are undamaged and clog-free. You also should inspect the drains in your parking lots, sidewalk areas, and along the curbs to make sure that leaves, trash, or other debris do not obstruct them, so water from melting snow has somewhere to go.
2 – Place Stakes on the Edges of Driveways and Walkways
If you are expecting a significant snow event, consider putting tall stakes or reflectors on the edges of driveways, walkways, and any other important areas so you can find them even if they get buried under deep snow.
3 – Trim Trees Near Buildings, Parking Lots, and Walkways
Before any storm, check to see if any unhealthy-looking branches are overhanging any of these areas, and trim them so they won’t fall during the storm.
4 – Take Action to Avoid Getting Snowed In
You should ensure that common areas are as clear as possible as the snow falls during the storm. Spread de-icer in parking lots and along walkways frequently to try to minimize the risk of slips and falls as much as possible. You might even have some snow removal equipment such as a snowblower or a couple of employees assigned to keep heavily trafficked areas clear.
5 – Keep Snow Away from Building Foundation
You should never pile snow near the side of any building. This may cause nearby pipes to freeze and might crack the building foundation.
6 – Don’t Let too Much Snow Accumulate on the Roof
Heavy snow accumulations on rooftops can cause leaks, damage, and in rare instances, cause the roof to collapse. Use a roof rake to remove snow from sloped roofs, and shovel flat roofs if you can do it safely.
7 – Hire a Commercial Snow Removal Company to Take Care of It for You
Why worry about any of these problems at all? Hire a commercial snow removal company and let them take the responsibility to keep your parking lots, walkways, and common area snow and ice-free.
Aeroscape is Your Year-Round Landscaping and Commercial Snow Removal Specialist
At Aeroscape, our experienced landscape maintenance workforce is well-trained to provide commercial ice and snow removal services for all of our clients. Our year-round clients get extra attention and the high-quality service that they have come to expect from Aeroscape. For more information, give us a call at 801.569.2383 or fill out a simple online form at the bottom of our snow and ice removal services page, and an Aeroscape account manager will get in touch with you.