Deicing Records Are Not Hard To Do

DEICING RECORDS ARE NOT HARD TO DO by John Allin. September 2nd, 2009. Snow Magazine. C’mon! It’s not that hard to do. Snow contractors find that deicing of parking lots is a very high margin business. It’s also a necessary part of our service offering. In dealing with attorneys in slip and fall cases, it becomes apparent that contractors MUST accurately, regularly and honestly keep track of what they do on sites with regards to deicing a site to keep it safe. Too often I find contractors are obligated to keep an eye on a site even after the first visit, and they don’t go back. Then, an obvious thaw and refreeze situation occurs and the contractor doesn’t make the effort to continue servicing the site – to his own detriment. Someone falls, and the contractor gets pulled into the inevitable lawsuit. With little in the way of records, the contractor takes the fall because they say “I went to the site and it didn’t need anything, but I didn’t write that down anywhere – just trust me”. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way. You need to provide the service you are contracted for, and you need to keep accurate records of what you did, or did not do. I know, keeping records is a pain in the butt. But, the really good contractors track every move they make. Some even go so far as to write down every single phone call that comes into the office. Others track every piece of equipment on and off every single site. And, they all keep these records for years, and years, and years. I know of contractors who can go back seven, eight and ten years to pinpoint exactly what minute a call came to go salt a customer location (who was not a “regular”). Insurance companies love clients like that. It can save them tens of thousands of dollars – and keep your premiums reasonable. Proper attitudes towards deicing along with proper record keeping practices can protect you, your insurance carrier, the property owner, and most importantly – those who drive and walk on the property you are maintaining. You’re not too busy to keep accurate records of activities. If you say you cannot afford to put such practices into place, you’re not charging enough. ABOUT THE AUTHOR John Allin, CSP, CLP, a full time snow professional consultant, is the author of Managing Snow & Ice. John has 30+ years experience in the snow industry and has worked with snow professionals in 36 countries around the world.