News

Snow Safety! February 11, 2015

As the snow continues to fall here in New England, it is important to maintain your pre-engineered structure. Buildings of any type are designed for specific loads. When an above average snowfall occurs and most importantly if snow becomes wet and heavy, removing snow and ice buildup off the roof structure can help to keep deflections to a minimum. Failure to do this could result in an overload condition and cause unnecessary damage to your building. We urge you to remove any snow, to avoid such an occurrence when repeated accumulation is expected. It is also recommended that a structural engineer be consulted before snow removal is initiated.

For more information regarding snow removal, we recommend that you consult the Snow Removal Section of the MBMA Manual (Appendix 9) . Snow should be removed in as balanced a manner as possible. Care should be taken to prevent damage to the roof panels, any mechanicals and/or fasteners. Metal tools should not be used and snow blowers are also not advisable. When possible, it is recommended that snow be removed without personnel getting on the roof (through the use of draglines, snow raking tools, etc.).

If light transmitting panels are present in your roof, the snow you are in the process of removing may conceal their location.

REMEMBER: Extreme care should be exercised when working in the area of light transmitting panels. DO NOT STEP DIRECTLY ON SKYLIGHTS / LIGHT TRANSMITTING PANELS, OR IN THE AREA ADJACENT TO A SKYLIGHT / LIGHT TRANSMITTING PANELS.

Taking a proactive approach to protect a building from the excessive acts of nature is the responsibility of the owner. We also strongly recommend that you forward this message or communicate its content to your customers and most importantly the building owner(s) and have them take appropriate action to prevent excessive snow accumulation.