As winter settles in throughout the northeast, many workers in the construction industry in New York and New Jersey are at risk of injuries from snow removal. Because snow removal can be dangerous, the Occupational Health and Safety Administration has issued a hazard alert for anyone involved in snow removal.

OSHA has investigated 16 serious injuries or fatalities that resulted from snow removal in the last ten years. According to OSHA, each of the 16 could have been prevented. Falls rank as the most common reason for work-related injuries suffered by construction workers, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Not surprisingly, falls are also the most common cause of injuries related to snow removal. Construction workers are often required to climb onto roofs to remove snow and ice, creating a risk of falling off the roof. Making the risk even greater is the fact that many construction workers have little or no experience in snow removal.

In an effort to impress upon workers the potential hazards involved in snow removal, the OSHA alert provides the following examples of cases the agency has investigated:

• A worker was removing snow from a roof when he lost his balance and slid off the roof. He fell and struck his head on construction materials that were being stored below the roof and sustained a fatal head injury.
• Four workers were building a second-floor room addition. One of the workers was standing on a 12-foot aluminum ladder attempting to clean snow from a low-slope roof, 10 feet above ground. The feet of the ladder slid, the worker fell off the ladder and struck his head. He died several days later.
• A worker was shoveling snow from the roof of a residential construction site. He fell from a height of more than 11 feet and was fatally impaled by a scaffold in the course of his fall.

The OSHA hazard alert provides details that can help employers and workers involved in snow removal this winter; however, the four main points stressed in the alert include:

• Utilize snow removal methods that do not require workers to climb onto roofs, when possible.
• Evaluate load capacity of a roof before working on the roof.
• Always use the proper safety equipment.
• Use correct methods when utilizing ladders or aerial lifts to reach a roof.