Owning a business in Boone and the High Country is rewarding and excellent for our economy. We are fortunate to see tourists nearly year round; in spring we get bloomers, summer we get people escaping the heat from across the state, in fall we get Peepers checking out the foliage, and in winter we get skiers.
In the winter however, our business properties can be susceptible to snow and ice. Mountaineer Maintenance provides snow removal services in Boone but we also wanted to provide a guide full of tips on how you can facilitate snow and ice removal for your Boone Business.
Have a Snow Removal Plan in Place
There’s an old saying, “when the winter roads get slick, you must act quick.” Having a quality snow and ice removal plan for your High Country business will minimize risk for your employees, visitors, and your facility throughout the winter months. A snow and ice removal plan or checklist should include:
- Appropriate tools and materials on hand (shovels, blowers, plows salt, etc.)
- Appropriate signage regarding slick surfaces for outside your business as well as inside to limit liability
- Incident reporting procedure
Regulate Snow and Ice Removal Frequency
If you have a snow and ice removal plan in place then regulating snow and ice removal frequency is second-nature. Don’t wait until the last minute to remove snow and ice from your property. The bulk of snow and ice removal should take place prior to the arrival of employees and well before any clients or customers arrive.
In the even that snow and ice accumulate throughout the day, regularly scheduled and frequent remove of snow and ice should continue as long as the weather dictates. In order for you to focus on running your business, and less on snow removal throughout the day, consider hiring a professional snow removal service to assist you.
Coordinate Plowing and Parking
Obviously it is much easier for a contractor to use their snow plow in your parking lot when it is empty or has few cars in it. Take advantage of the hours when the parking lot is empty.
Whenever possible, try to direct people to park in lots that have already been plowed. This will have two benefits. The first is customers will be able to easily park and walk safely across the parking lot your business without having to worry about snow or ice. The second is that it allows for unplowed areas to now be plowed as customers and their cars won’t hinder the snow removal.
Added Benefits to Plowing and Snow Removal Coordination
- Clear paths in the parking lot
- Snow moved to an adequate drainage area, thus preventing additional hazards when run-off re-freezes
- Allows snow plows to remove snow from other businesses, streets, and neighborhoods, which in turn could lead to increased foot traffic to your business and more revenue
Monitor the Temperature
Snow and ice removal from your business property or parking lot isn’t a one-time, once-a-day task. Depending on the weather, snow and ice can continue to accumulate throughout the day and overnight. To provide the safest environment for staff and guests, continual plowing, shoveling, and salting should be observed.
Furthermore, often overlooked is what is called the “Thawing Period.” This is when air or ground temps rise above freezing and snow and ice begins to melt on its own. Monitor temperatures to see when the Thawing Period begins as that’s the best time to remove most, if not all, melting ice and snow. The danger if you don’t remove the melted snow and ice is that it can re-freeze once temps drop below freezing, thus creating a new hazard for your business to have to manage.
Mountaineer Maintenance: Boone Snow and Ice Removal Service Providers
At Mountaineer Maintenance, we know what it takes to protect your business and property from snow and ice. We’re locals of Boone and the High Country and we’ve been providing snow and ice removal services for businesses and residential properties for years. Contact us today for a free quote on snow removal services before its too late!