A Winter Cleanup Refresher

November 2019 might just be in its infancy, but America is already experiencing winter-like conditions. Portions of the Midwest woke up to not-so-typical Halloween snow last week, while snowfall was so significant in Wichita, Kansas on Oct. 30, that it broke a 114-year-old National Weather Service Record, reports the Wichita Eagle.

Unfortunately, more snow means even more work for already busy facility mangers and some janitorial staffs. Always responsible for making people safer inside of buildings, these workers are often times responsible for helping people to both enter and exit buildings safely during icy conditions. For those who will once again drop salt and shovel paths on commercial properties this winter, here are some tips for parking lot and sidewalk treatment:

1. Clear snow and ice from walking surfaces and then spread deicer, as soon as possible after a winter storm.

2. Make sure the people cleaning up the snow and ice are safe, too. These workers should begin their shoveling by scooping small amounts of snow at a time, eventually working their way up to larger amounts. Workers should also focus on pushing snow out of the way, instead of lifting it, so that injury can better be avoided.

3.  Always make sure a snow blower is off and totally stopped before attempting to clear a snow or ice jam from the machine.

4. Spot-treat problem areas with ice melt. Such areas include surfaces facing the north and areas where water and ice tend to collect.