Prevent Struck-by Injuries During Snowmaking
- Prevent Struck-by Injuries During Snowmaking is available in Portable Document Format:
- Poster, 11x17" (PDF, 238KB, 1pg.)
- Training Card (PDF, 189KB, 2pg.)
Struck-by injuries occur when a person is forcefully hit by an object. The danger can come from overhead work or when pushing, pulling or prying objects that may cause them to become airborne.
Snowmakers can be struck by:
- Snowmaking equipment
- Hand tools
- High pressure water and air
- Snowmobiles or other vehicles
- Broken tree branches
- Ice falling from snowguns and towers
- Propane nozzles
- Coworkers, skiers and boarders
Snowmakers can be exposed to hazards when:
- Attaching and removing hoses from snowmaking equipment and above-ground hydrants.
- Using wrenches and hand tools.
- Turning valves to adjust air and water mixtures.
- Loosening pressurized water, compressed air hoses and nozzles causing "hose whipping".
- Traveling around the mountain.
To prevent injuries snowmakers can:
- Check pressure regulators to reduce and maintain operating pressures.
- Ensure that water and air hoses are securely connected before turning on valves.
- Replace worn or damaged hoses.
- Keep hoses free of sharp bends and kinks.
- Open and close hydrants and valves SLOWLY.
- Don't straddle or stand in front of hydrants or snowmaking equipment while opening valves.
- Don't stand in front of snowguns or move a snowgun while it's operating.
- Don't yank a hose that is caught on an object. Free the obstruction first to prevent the hose from rupturing.
- Stay clear of the area if a hose is whipping. Shut off the flow at the source, if possible.
- Be aware of your environment to avoid collisions with falling ice, branches, coworkers, skiers and boarders.
