Fall is in full swing and snow season is fast approaching. Certain climates can expect large amounts of snow from November 1 through March 31. This five-month period also represents the time losses are most likely to occur from wintry conditions. Like all weather conditions, snow presents a substantial risk and the potential for severe loss. 

In HAI Group’s 20-year existence, there have been 2,224 claims directly attributed to slip, trip, and falls from wintry conditions. Of these claims $50,400,000 has been paid out, equaling an average settlement of roughly $22,662 per claim. These numbers only represent what is tangible and calculable. These numbers become less surprising when considering the wide variety of individuals and property affected by wintry conditions. If gone unchecked, wintry conditions can impact residents, staff, and outside individuals who render services for the PHA, along with the structural integrity of your properties and vehicles.

Fortunately, an efficient snow removal program will go far in mitigating the damaging effects of a harsh winter. Your program should focus on the following three goals, all of which are intertwined:

• Timely snow removal;
• Effective snow removal; and
• Revaluation and documentation of the snow removal program. 

Timely Snow Removal

1. Prepare your equipment before the snow falls. This includes checking fuel and anti-freeze levels. Ensure that your equipment performs to manufacturers’ specifications; this may include equipping your vehicles with appropriate chains or snow tires; 
2. Have your snow resources in stock before the snow hits the ground.  Supply yourself with the proper quantities of salt, sand, etc.;
3. Have an infrastructure outlining roles and responsibilities. The top of this structure should be the foreman, who oversees the snow removal process. Ideally this foreman will have site managers at each housing complex. Site managers direct snow removal operations at each site and directly report the progress to the foreman. The foreman will, in turn, use the information in a manner deemed necessary;
4. Develop a blueprint for snow removal at each PHA site. This plan should emphasize removing snow from the most critical areas of the complex. Critical areas include, but are not limited to, parts of the complex most commonly walked, parts of the complex emergency professionals require access to in states of emergency, and parts of the complex prone to produce ice due to lack of sunlight, moisture, etc.; and
5. It must be made clear to staff that snowstorms constitute a PHA emergency. All reasonable efforts must be made to attend work on snow days. Additionally, it is important that staff be made aware they are expected at work during snow emergencies that take place on weekends.  

Effective Snow Removal

1. Ensure that snow removal responsibilities do not overlap in areas of accountability and job assignments. Prevent overlap by clearly articulating staff assignments;
2. Workers should be familiar with the area/complex that they are assigned. Knowing your location is important. Hypothetically, a particular stoop or driveway may deserve extra attention because it is more prone to produce ice. A worker with knowledge of the area is more equipped to address a site’s particular needs; and  
3. Develop individual site checklists to ensure all crucial locations receive the proper attention. This checklist should account for areas described above, such as highly used locations, areas important to emergency response teams, and places prone to ice accumulation, etc. A map may be used to identify these types of crucial areas to ensure they receive the attention they deserve. 

Revaluation of Snow Removal

1. In the event of a claim, the PHA will be best protected by its level of documentation. Documentation should reflect locations plowed, workers on site, tasks completed, crucial spots addressed, salt or sand laid, and continued monitoring. Documentation will go far in proving the PHA made an adequate and good faith effort. It will also minimize exposure to claims and should be viewed as most fundamental to the snow removal process. It is vital that your documentation forms contain an accurate description of the work being performed;
2. Snow removal should be reviewed for efficiencies and deficiencies. The foreman should sit down with site managers to make improvements, regardless of whether the operation is without flaw. This also serves as a time to review the documentation from the individual sites. Points that should be looked for include: was the documentation complete, are we clearing the critical areas of the PHA, and does the documentation suggest we are at appropriate staff levels; and
3. This step revisits previous steps. In the time between two storms your equipment must be checked to ensure it is operating at manufacturers’ specifications. Resources must be restocked to pre-storm levels.

If you would like an example of an effective snow removal process, please contact your representative in the Risk Control Department at 800-873-0242.