Just for Fun

As the dark shadows of another Michigan Winter begin to loom over us and we head toward the Christmas Season, most of us look forward to our favorite winter enjoyments: skiing, building mammoth snow castles, Christmas shopping, or simply curling up by the fire with a good book.

We here at Sneller Snow & Grounds, however, would like to remind you that winter is all fun and games until someone gets hurt. Not to be a downer, but we’ve built our business around helping businesses reduce risk and feel it incumbent upon ourselves to remind you of some of Michigan’s greatest holiday dangers so that you can begin preparing early.

Decorations

Statistics tell us that incidents of home fires and electrical incidents greatly increase during the winter Christmas season. Decorations not only increase your chances of a house fire, but they also increase your risk of injury due to slips, falls, and other accidents.

Reports of falls from ladders while stringing lights and hanging decorations, incidents of lacerations from broken glass ornaments and other holiday-related injuries are increasing. During November and December 2010, CPSC estimates that more than 13,000 people were treated in emergency departments nationwide due to injuries involving holiday decorations (CPSC).

While we’re not recommending that you completely tamp down your decorative instincts, we do suggest that you always complete outdoor decorations while taking proper safety precautions and using the buddy system.

Sidewalk Ice

Every year, thousands of people slip and fall on icy sidewalks during the holiday season. Apart from the pain of embarrassment, many who slip also deal with the physical pain of bruises, fractures, or head injuries. While it’s true that Michigan’s slip and fall laws leave some flexibility for liability, it’s also true that business owners have a responsibility to keep their sidewalks clear of accumulations of ice and snow, thus rendering them more safe for pedestrians. Using a professional snow and ice management company will help reduce risk of injuries and lawsuits.

Family Dinners

Family dinners can be more than just a danger to your blood pressure at times. Each year in the United States, 100,000 people are treated in Emergency Rooms for scalding incidents–many of those a result of holiday cooking frenzies. Bacteria from improperly-thawed turkeys can lead to intestinal distress. Apart from all of the food-related dangers, carrying and lifting luggage while helping out-of-town relatives settle in before the big dinner can lead to further complications.

Since the holidays are widely celebrated in West Michigan, we can only imagine how high our state statistics will rise in these particular categories this coming holiday season.

While we know that this isn’t the typical sort of post you’d expect from us, we couldn’t avoid telling you what the data says. Although we focus on snow removal and ice management, those aren’t the only things we care about. We really do have our clients’ best interests at heart–and it’s in your best interests to be extra careful as you make your way down those frozen sidewalks to your family’s decked-out houses for a Christmas dinner.

We can’t do much to help you with the cooking or decoration-related injuries, we’re more than equipped to ensure that an accumulation of snow and ice does not turn the sidewalks and walkways around your business from turning into a hazard. For more information on our commercial snow removal services, or to discuss a winter snow plowing contract, please contact us.