Snowplows will soon be back in work with winter just around the horizon. Even while the snow continues to fall, a few basic practices will help you shovel as efficiently as possible.
Look for barriers before it snows, such as speed bumps, curbs, walkways, shrubbery, fire hydrants, and fencing that may be disguised by snow. Plow shoes should be lowered when plowing in sand or gravel to avoid damaging the equipment. That way, you won’t have to worry about scraping off the surface. Raise or remove the plow shoes while plowing on asphalt or concrete to scrape as close to the surface as feasible.
Plowing with the storm is better than letting snow pile if a lot of snow is forecast. Keep snow off other people’s property, roadways, and walkways. Don’t block mailboxes. Garbage can contain aerators or fire hydrants and don’t block water drains or electrical boxes. Snow should never be pushed across a road without first consulting local laws. Ensure your vehicle has the right amount of ballast. An adequately secured ballast should be positioned behind the rear axle and toward the tailgate of the vehicle.
Below we have mentioned seven procedures on why you need snow removal services for your parking lot right now:
General Liability Insurance is in Place to Protect You.
Snow and ice should be kept off your parking lot and property for obvious reasons. Neither your customers nor employees should be injured by slipping on your property, nor should anyone be injured trying to clear snow and ice using the equipment they are using to do so. Due to the fact that snow and ice are inherently dangerous, there is always a chance that someone will get wounded while providing you the shoveling services.
Insurance against bodily harm, medical expenses, and property damage is available through general liability insurance, sometimes known as commercial general liability insurance (CGL), which is mainly provided by home snow removal services companies.
Accidents do occur, however. Stay out of debt by not overspending. Hire a snow removal company that has appropriate insurance to safeguard your business (and theirs) from costly claims like these.
Managing Time
For example, as a business owner, you may feel responsible for keeping your parking lot and property free of snow for your employees and customers. Be sure to ask yourself: Is this the best use of my time and mental bandwidth before you dig in?
It’s a full-time job managing snow and ice removal during the winter months. And you’ll have to work through snowstorms and even holidays to keep up.
When it comes to professional snow removal services, these companies or agencies operate even during the holiday season and are 100% ready to work in the worst of the weather.
By hiring a snow removal service, you can spend your time thinking about building your business rather than how to keep up with the snowfall that keeps piling up.
Specialized Equipment
Equipment for clearing snow from parking lots is expensive, and there are a variety of financial solutions for managing the depreciation and costs of your assets. Start-up costs for parking lot maintenance equipment might vary widely based on the needs of your site. Having a reliable truck is a must. For your business, you’ll also need a snow shovel, a salt sprayer, and a large supply of mineral salt. Used or leased equipment might cost anywhere from $3,000 to $10,000. Every accounting strategy has advantages and disadvantages. When purchasing new or old equipment, keep in mind that specialized equipment requires maintenance and care in order to function correctly.
Damage Repairing and Cleaning up
Although it’s not often known, handling snowfall in a parking lot requires some skill. Vehicles (assuming you’re insured) and landscaping elements that you’ve previously paid for are among the difficulties. Unfortunately, accidents sometimes happen, like when you or a co-worker loses their way in the snow and uproots many bushes in front of your shop. A landscaping company is likely to have installed these, so you’ll need a new one in the spring.
The time and money you’ve spent on your driveway snow removal is certainly well worth it, so why risk damaging it with inadequate snow removal in the winter?
Time It Takes To Plow
It depends mainly on the size and layout of your parking lot. The lot size is taken into consideration while pre-planning with clients, and we make sure to complete the plowing long before business hours begin. Call us to set up a consultation so that we can create a plan that is tailored to your needs.
Use Smart Practices
The roof of a garage should not be piled high with snow or ice. As snow accumulates, the structure’s live load restrictions can be quickly exceeded. Snow piles should be removed from the garage, and additional snow pile mitigation activities should be performed between snow storms (snowmelt machines, hauling, over-the-side dumping, and so on). A urethane or strong rubber plow cutting edge must be used on vehicle snow plows.
Significant Steps To Usually Follow (Industry Standard Parking Lot Snow Removal)
First, Primarily focus your efforts on clearing the ground in front of buildings and entrances. Snow is removed from the building by driving up to it with the plow blade raised and straight. Push the snow to the extreme outer boundaries of the parking lot by turning your vehicle around and driving back into the cleared space.
Secondly, Begin plowing the parking lot after moving the snow away from the building using your back. Work your way up and down the parking lot, then push the snow out to the edges. There is a possibility that large lots should be divided into smaller sections. Snow should be piled downwind to reduce drifting.
Last but not least, Clean up the parking lot after the snow has been removed to the greatest extent possible. Start by removing snow from curbs and sidewalks. Wherever feasible, make careful to square up the corners and don’t leave any snow trails behind!