Heavy Snow

NOTE: We are not structural engineers, and we are not safety consultants, but before shoveling snow off a roof, please consider the following issues appropriate for your situation.

1. If the structure is suspected of being overloaded, can you safely send a crew up onto that roof?

2. Working at or near the building edge, especially on a slippery surface, will create a safety concern. At a minimum, anyone within 10 feet of the edge should be harnessed in, complying with appropriate OSHA regulations. Refer to OSHA regulations for complete information.

3. Depths of snow on your roof will hide other potential dangers, especially skylights. Other concerns might include gas pipes or electrical conduits that run across your roof, as well as pipes, vents, and many other things that may now be buried under the snow.

Safety must be the first concern and this is your responsibility.

Once you decide to safely remove excess snow from your roof, please remind your crews that a roof is more fragile than a driveway. In most instances, all you need to remove is excess snow, but you can probably safely leave the last few inches of snow in place. A lot of damage has been done to roofs in the past from over-aggressive shoveling.

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