Snow Shoveling Safety for the Facility

Keeping a warehouse adequately snow-free doesn't just mean shoveling its outdoor walkways and making sure its parking lot is plowed. Excess snow on top of a warehouse can weaken, and even damage the structure and can threaten the safety of personnel and forklift battery management inside.

Snow can place as much as 40 to 60 pounds of stress per cubic foot on a warehouse's roof. If left on the roof, too much snow will cause moderate to severe roof leaks -- a major threat to battery room safety, where forklift batteries are charged. Excess snow also causes roof deformities and warps.

How can warehouse personnel safely remove snow from the warehouse roof? Here are some quick pointers:

• Before removing snow from the roof, be sure to clear any snow and ice out of its draining devices.
• Remove snow in a "strip" pattern -- shovel the snow in a straight line from one end of the roof to another, and repeat until the roof is snow-free.
• Always use plastic shovels, never metal ones. Snow can be lowered to the ground in a large plastic bucket.
• Never use a snow blower on a warehouse roof or any hot water pressure washers -- both can cause further damage to the roof.
• Never block warehouse exits and doorways with piles of snow shoveled off the roof.
• Staying safe in a warehouse environment involves more than battery room safety signage, proper warehouse organization and forklift battery safety -- it's also essential to adequately prepare for seasonal changes, especially during the wintertime. Make sure your warehouse and its personnel stay safe by encouraging personnel to practice safe snow shoveling procedures.