Safety during snow removal

[mois25]

It has been reported that most snow accidents do happen to first time users and so it is important that necessary steps are taken to avoid these.

I have heard of overexertion resulting especially from the use of the snow shovel. Heart failure, is the most serious effect from this. The ideal thing to do to avoid this, besides other precautions, is to dress for the occasion; preferably in layers for the reason that it allows better evaporation of perspiration.

 

[JasonB]

Yes, you got to be very careful when shoveling snow, especially that heavy wet snow. Last month the area where I live recived 28 inches of snow and in the closest city, there were a few reported heartattacks from removing snow.

Also, people also need to be very careful around snowblowers as well, I have heard storys of people being injured by their snowblower. I ALWAYS shut my Snowblower off & my tractor before unplugging the blower or doing service work... But I have seen people stick there hands down the shoot of a Walkbehind blower to clear it out without shutting the engine off... Really makes me cringe everytime I see it.

Take Care Jason B

 

[JDgreen]

Yes, you got to be very careful when shoveling snow, especially that heavy wet snow. Last month the area where I live recived 28 inches of snow and in the closest city, there were a few reported heartattacks from removing snow.

Also, people also need to be very careful around snowblowers as well, I have heard storys of people being injured by their snowblower. I ALWAYS shut my Snowblower off & my tractor before unplugging the blower or doing service work... But I have seen people stick there hands down the shoot of a Walkbehind blower to clear it out without shutting the engine off... Really makes me cringe everytime I see it.

Take Care Jason B

Modern snowblowers have (since at least 1988) a handlebar control that has to be held down in order for the augers to turn, releasing the control SHOULD stop the augers from turning, however, it is still foolish to stick a hand down to clear jams...I had a sledgehammer with a handle broken off near the head, cutting the remainder in two gave me a pair of ideal tools to use to clear jamming, my blowers use a PVC pipe section bolted to the handlebars to carry the handle so it is always handy. I do not shut off the engines to clear jams because the handle protects my hands.

 

[JasonB]

Modern snowblowers have (since at least 1988) a handlebar control that has to be held down in order for the augers to turn, releasing the control SHOULD stop the augers from turning, however, it is still foolish to stick a hand down to clear jams...I had a sledgehammer with a handle broken off near the head, cutting the remainder in two gave me a pair of ideal tools to use to clear jamming, my blowers use a PVC pipe section bolted to the handlebars to carry the handle so it is always handy. I do not shut off the engines to clear jams because the handle protects my hands.

Yep, my walkbehind blower has the handle bar control as well, but still I have seen people stick there hands down the shoot with the engine running with the handle bar control working and that still can be dangerous.

 

[LandN]

Modern snowblowers have (since at least 1988) a handlebar control that has to be held down in order for the augers to turn, releasing the control SHOULD stop the augers from turning, however, it is still foolish to stick a hand down to clear jams...I had a sledgehammer with a handle broken off near the head, cutting the remainder in two gave me a pair of ideal tools to use to clear jamming, my blowers use a PVC pipe section bolted to the handlebars to carry the handle so it is always handy. I do not shut off the engines to clear jams because the handle protects my hands.

HEY JD,that pvc deal sounds interesting. im going to have to rig 'something' up to hold the cleanout brush as the factory location really is kinda lame (right at the chute base) so that when your getting blowback etc. the brush becomes buried in a mini snow mound and i have to pull the snow away to get at the brush. so yea, a handle location would be real nice, although i dont use it much. seems like someone could build a better mousetrap....er i mean a cleanout tool. lol

 

[SouthCentral]

Biggest danger for most if you ask me is getting off the tractor or mower to clear an object before the tines have stopped spinning. Not because you are going to stick your hand or foot in there, even though that could happen, but because a rock or stick could get shot out at you pretty fast. I never did like blowers for this reason, always was a plow boy myself.

 

[Slater]

Echoing what everyone has already mentioned. NEVER EVER stick your hand down the chute while it is running. I have seen and heard of plenty of injuries happening this way. Have a friend with 4 fingers on one hand (and he was lucky that was it)

Go out and buy this (SnoStik) for $15 or for you cheapos out there :thumbsup: follow some other ideas and make your own makeshift snow stick. I think in Europe for a lot of their products, manufacturers are actually required to put a snow plug remover type attachment in order to be CE approved. Can somebody confirm that? I'm not sure on smaller products, but I know on many larger products, you are seeing these more and more. Safety first!!!

 

[JDgreen]

Echoing what everyone has already mentioned. NEVER EVER stick your hand down the chute while it is running. I have seen and heard of plenty of injuries happening this way. Have a friend with 4 fingers on one hand (and he was lucky that was it)

Go out and buy this (SnoStik) for $15 or for you cheapos out there :thumbsup: follow some other ideas and make your own makeshift snow stick. I think in Europe for a lot of their products, manufacturers are actually required to put a snow plug remover type attachment in order to be CE approved. Can somebody confirm that? I'm not sure on smaller products, but I know on many larger products, you are seeing these more and more. Safety first!!!

Neighbor of mine two houses down bought a new Ariens two stage blower last year, I looked at it and if I recall right it had a pusher stick mounted on it from the factory....

 

[JDgreen]

Echoing what everyone has already mentioned. NEVER EVER stick your hand down the chute while it is running. I have seen and heard of plenty of injuries happening this way. Have a friend with 4 fingers on one hand (and he was lucky that was it)

Go out and buy this (SnoStik) for $15 or for you cheapos out there :thumbsup: follow some other ideas and make your own makeshift snow stick. I think in Europe for a lot of their products, manufacturers are actually required to put a snow plug remover type attachment in order to be CE approved. Can somebody confirm that? I'm not sure on smaller products, but I know on many larger products, you are seeing these more and more. Safety first!!!

Just went to the Snostik site...."Snowblower Interuptus"...what a howler....:laughing::laughing:

 

[Slater]

Just went to the Snostik site...."Snowblower Interuptus"...what a howler....:laughing::laughing:

Hey I know it works but I didn't say their marketing was great :biggrin: lol