Clearing Snow from Roofs
Safety Talks are a method to refresh an employee’s knowledge and skills, maintain their interest in safety and illustrate the organization’s commitment to creating a healthy & safe work environment. Safety Talks can be performed on a weekly basis or before the start of a new scope of work and should be about 15 minutes in duration. Generally, these Safety Talk meetings are led by a supervisor and should be mandatory for all crew members to attend. The content should be centred on a single topic (e.g. a safety rule, safe job procedures, recent incident, Joint Occupational Health & Safety Committee (JOHSC) meeting minutes, inspection results, etc.). go2 developed these Safety Talks in conjunction with representatives from 11 ski areas in BC. The content is meant to be a base on which to work from, so please feel free to customize the subject matter to your own organization. If you would like to develop your own Safety Talk, please download the Safety Talk template from the go2 website ( www.go2hr.ca/skisafety ) and contact Trina Wright at twright@go2hr.ca
and 604-633-9787
(ext 259) for support. If you are willing to share your Safety Talks with go2, we will ideally post it on our website, to be accessed by all ski areas in BC. The more preventative ideas we can provide, the better the chances of having an incident-free environment for all.
At ski areas in BC every year, a number of employees are injured while clearing snow from roofs.
 Discuss the hazards involved in clearing snow from roofs.
 Tour the work area with workers pointing out where the accidents can occur when clearing snow from roofs.
 Distribute the “Do’s & Don’ts” section of this handout.
 Use the “Instructor Guide” section of the handout as your discussion guide and the “Safety Talk Record” to document the meeting.
 Discuss how accidents can happen.
 Remind employees that they are required to wear adequate personal protective equipment (PPE).
 Explain what can be done to minimize the risk of accidents (do’s & don’ts in handout)
 Emphasize that following safe work procedures is mandatory.
 Make it real by telling at least two true stories of injuries from your experience.
 Discuss the attitude of “it won’t happen to me”. Remind them that an injury can and will happen if they take shortcuts or are careless.
 Answer any questions or concerns they might have.
 Set a good example by working safely at all times.

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Near Miss/Incidents and Investigations Reviewed: (None this month  )
(Industry alerts can be discussed here as well)
Safety Topic Discussed:
Title: Date:
Any questions or concerns from workers?
Action Needed:
Reviewed By:
Supervisor/Manager Print Name & Sign:
Person responsible: Due Date:
Date:
Completed Date:

Clearing Snow from Roofs
Snow on roofs can be very dangerous and can sometimes require manual removal.
Flat roofed buildings and lift terminals can become overloaded with snow and can cause roof collapse. The buildup of snow on a roof can also cause leaks and damage to the roof. Sloped roofs can cause snow to slide off, falling onto pedestrians and vehicles below. Removing snow from a roof can pose a number of hazards and being aware of these hazards is an important step in preventing injuries.
 Safety perimeter
 Assess the roof’s requirements
 Prepare yourself
 Using fall arrest
 Shoveling
 Warm up your muscles prior to beginning to clear the snow. Be sure to take a brisk walk or do something aerobic and then perform some basic stretches. A quick warm-up can help prepare your muscles for the strain of clearing snow.
 Assess the scene prior to beginning the task. Look for hazards within your work environment, e.g. snow overhangs, members of the public, buried objects, icicles, etc.
 Ensure a good line of communication is maintained at all times when working in a team.
 Establish a perimeter on the ground, using fencing. Use this area for depositing the shoveled snow. Consider whether snow removal from the ground is an option.
 Use a long-handled snow rake, if possible.
 Use safe ladder climbing techniques when accessing the roof.
 Use proper shoveling techniques when clearing the snow. Push small amounts towards the edge to maintain control.
 Be aware of roof vents, sky lights and other roof structures that may be buried under the snow.
 If the snow removal is occurring from the ground, be sure to wear proper personal protective equipment
(PPE), eye protection, and a hard hat.

Clearing Snow from Roofs
 Abide by Operational Health and Safety (OHS) Regulation 11.2 Obligation to use fall protection:
(1) Unless elsewhere provided for in this Regulation, an employer must ensure that a fall protection system is used when work is being done at a place
(a) from which a fall of 3 m (10 ft) or more may occur, or
(b) where a fall from a height of less than 3 m involves a risk of injury greater than the risk of injury from the impact on a flat surface.
(2) The employer must ensure that guardrails meeting the requirements of Part 4 (General Conditions) or other similar means of fall restraint are used when practicable.
(3) If subsection (2) is not practicable, the employer must ensure that another fall restraint system is used.
(4) If subsection (3) is not practicable, the employer must ensure that a fall arrest system is used.
(5) If the use of a fall arrest system is not practicable, or will result in a hazard greater than if the system was not used, the employer must ensure that work procedures are followed that are acceptable to the Board and minimize the risk of injury to a worker from a fall.
(6) Before a worker is allowed into an area where a risk of falling exists, the employer must ensure that the worker is instructed in the fall protection system for the area and the procedures to be followed.
(7) A worker must use the fall protection system provided by the employer.
[Amended by B.C. Reg. 420/2004, effective January 1, 2005.]
 Do not stand on the edge of the roof and pull snow towards you.
 When working from the ground, avoid standing directly under the snow you are clearing.