Heavy Equipment Used in Snow Removal

Snow removal can be a lucrative business during the winter months. Many landscaping and construction companies offer snow removal services to keep the cash coming in and employees working during the off-season when construction slowdowns occur. Snow can present hazards that are very different than those encountered on the traditional construction site.

Safety should be a significant concern when you add snow removal to the services offered by your business. Professional snow removal takes much more than just a snow plow. Here are some of the different kinds of heavy equipment used for the snow removal process:

• Heavy-duty snow blades
• Power plows
• Box plows
• Skid steer snow blower
• Oscillating snow push
• Snow plow attachments
• Clamp-on snow blades
• Snowblower attachments
• Graders

Before the snowfall, make sure you have your equipment and trucks ready. You want to make sure your snow plows and trucks are set up for safety. That means you will need to make sure you strobe lights or flashing lights because visibility is lower even in daylight hours when it is snowing. You want to stand out to get noticed when you are driving around in the snow and plowing parking lots.

Make sure all employees have undergone the proper training. Safe drivers are much more likely to take better care of the equipment. You are most likely using the trucks year-round for all kinds of projects, so you don’t want them to be damaged while working in the winter weather and removing snow. Make sure your staff can drive safely in the snow and ice and be sure you put snow tires on your trucks before sending them out.

Remember that even the safest driver can have an accident and there are going to be less-experienced drivers out there in the snow as well. Be sure you have the right insurance coverage for your snow removal operations. Make sure you have bodily injury and property damage liability, collision and comprehensive, uninsured motorists’ bodily injury and property damage, and equipment coverage. Also, check local and state laws regarding operating such a business.