Snow Removal Program Policy

Policy Statement

During adverse winter weather conditions, it is often necessary to prioritize the assignment of personnel and equipment for snow removal. This document describes the staff responsibilities, weather emergency guidelines, equipment available, and assigns a relative priority to be used in making these decisions. These will be reviewed annually. All revisions or updates will be done as the need arises, but all additional considerations must be made in writing.

Definitions

There are no definitions for this policy at this time.

Policy Procedures

Notification Procedures

Mobilization for snow removal will be determined by the grounds supervisor during the normal working hours of 6:00 AM to 3:30 PM, Monday through Friday.

During non-working hours, University Police will notify a Facilities and Planning grounds supervisor of weather-related emergencies.

The person contacted will immediately come to the campus to determine the level of call-in necessary to alleviate the conditions.

Guidelines

A weather-related emergency exists under the following conditions:

• Two or more inches of wet snow has fallen or is forecast before the beginning of a regular work day;
• Three or more inches of light snow has fallen or is forecast before the beginning of a regular work day;
• Sleet or iced-over conditions exist.

All other snow conditions will not be considered emergencies and will be addressed at the beginning of the next work day.

Snow Removal Priorities

The Facilities and Planning grounds crew supervisor will make on-site decisions regarding the assignment of personnel and equipment for snow removal. The supervisor will assign specific equipment to routes and specific employees to equipment if weather conditions warrant such action. Normally, sufficient personnel and equipment are available to simultaneously clear roads, steps, walks and parking lots within 24 hours after the snowfall ceases.

Snow Removal Procedures

Steps, large walk-throughs and large entry ways shall be partially shoveled with a path along the railings for initial opening of these areas. Handicap areas must be fully accessible.

Clean-up operations after a storm shall involve completion of opening all walks and entry ways and de-icing.

Snow shall be pushed back from sides of roadways, walks and parking lots.

Stairs and entry ways shall have all remaining ice/snow removed.

Ice choppers and ice melt applications will then be employed on remaining ice.

Application of ice control products will follow plowing, based on present weather conditions, or when freezing occurs, as determined by the grounds supervisor, in order to break the bond of the ice from the surface it is attached to.

Return trips to remove non-bonded ice and slush from the surface will complete the cleaning of all surfaces.

Return trips for salting equipment shall be made as often as necessary on roads, as determined by the Grounds Supervisor.

Scraping down of roads and walks by equipment shall continue until all surfaces are free from packed snow and ice.

When plowing parking lots, snow should be piled so as not to block thoroughfares and sidewalk areas. If snow has to be pushed up over a curbed area, it should be piled so that it will not fall back into the lot and still be clear of any adjacent sidewalks.

In the event that snow has to be removed from a site because it creates or could create a dangerous situation, it will be taken to the parking lot off Commencement Drive (east of Whited Complex) and dumped.

General Information

Vehicles that block snow removal routes will be referred to University Police or Welcome Center & Parking Services and may be towed at the owner’s expense! (A snow route is a designated area that must be free of motor vehicles in order to facilitate the removal of accumulated snow and for the operation of snow removal equipment.)

Snow-removal supervisor shall determine when snow equipment and personnel should be halted due to extreme weather/conditions.

In the event of a snow emergency, the grounds supervisor may ask experienced employees from other Facilities and Planning departments to operate snow-removal equipment.

Snow Removal Priority List

1. Open all roads, including Commencement Drive to Route 31A and turn-around, Residence Drive, traffic loops located at Tower Fine Arts, Allen Building, east side of Tuttle South, and in front of Tuttle

2. North Rink, also included are the roadway directly in front of Cooper and Townehome Terrace;

3. Facilities and Planning, University Police parking lot, Welcome Center traffic loop;

4. Cooper Day Care Center/walkways;

5. Dining hall areas and accessing walkways;

6. Residence hall walks and mall area;

7. All faculty/staff and commuter lots;

8. Academic building walks, mall area and overpass, (including Allen Plaza, library deck and bridge to Tuttle Complex);

9. Burlingame Residence and Alumni House;

10. All other secondary walks.

11. Overnight parking lots: A, B, C, J, V1, X and Y.

Links to Related Procedures and Information

There are no links for this policy at this time.

Contact Information

There is no contact information for this policy at this time.

History (in descending order)

Approval

There are no approvals for this policy at this time.