Both the Midwest and the Eastern Seaboard were hit with massive winter storm systems that dumped more than a foot of snow last month, leaving tons of heavy snow not only on streets and sidewalks, but also putting an enormous strain on the roofs of residential and commercial buildings.
Local building codes are written to take into account the weight of normal snowfall within their particular geographic region, but when so snow falls so quickly and is followed by plunging polar temperatures, it can increase the risk of a roof collapsing or walls buckling under the weight of all that snow.
DIY Rooftop Snow Removal
Some business owners may be tempted to send their workers up on top of their buildings to remove that snow before it can cause damage. That may not be such a great idea, according to the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which issued a special bulletin entitled, “Falls and Other Hazards to Workers Removing Snow from Rooftops and Other Elevated Surfaces”.
“Workers performing snow removal operations are exposed to many serious hazards,” the federal agency warned. “Based on the findings of OSHA investigations, fall cause the most worker fatalities and injuries during rooftop snow removal. Workers may fall off roof edges, through skylights, and from ladders and aerial lifts. Workers may also be injured or killed by a roof collapse.”
Snow-Related On-the-Job Fatalities
There have been 16 serious injuries and fatalities in the past decade related to workers removing snow from rooftops, including:
- An incident in which a worker was removing snow from a roof when he lost his balance, fell from the roof and landed head-first on construction materials, resulting in a fatal brain injury.
- An incident in which a worker was shoveling snow on a second floor deck when he accidentally fell through an elevator shaft that had been covered with a plastic tarp. The worker, who wasn’t wearing any fall protection, was killed.
- An incident in which a worker was standing ten feet above the ground on a 12-foot aluminum ladder while cleaning snow from a low-slope roof. The foot of the ladder slid, the worker fell and struck his head on the concrete below and died from his injuries several days later.
Signs of Too Much Snow
When roofs are over-strained by the weight of snow, there typically will be warning signs that you can watch out for. The first are noises that sound like groans or strains. These come from the weight of the snow putting pressure on joints and beams that support the roof.
Another sign is when interior doors begin to suddenly stick, especially doors along interior walls. This indicates that the force of the snow’s weight is actually bending the door frame.
Buckling walls and bowed rooftops are a third indication that there may be too much weight on a building’s roof.
Get Professional Help
If you notice any of these signs, your best bet is to contact a professional snow removal contractor who has the skills, experience and specialized tools and safety equipment to remove the snow safely.
Trying to do it yourself or having your employees to do it is just asking for trouble.