UmialikXpress
Agency Bulletin
January 29, 2024
Help Your Customers Manage Snow Load Risk With These Tips and Resources
As winter continues, our mutual customers may experience varying levels of snow fall that can accumulate on top of roofs, increasing the risk of a roof collapse, which also poses a serious property and liability risk. To help our customers manage this risk, we have provided some helpful tips, a resource from the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS), the most recent snow removal notice from the Municipality of Anchorage, as well as an informative column written by Sean Dewalt, our Senior Loss Control Consultant, on how to manage snow load in Alaska that we encourage you to share.
Proactive steps our customers can take to manage their snow load risk:
- Knowing the load rating for their building’s roof.
- Periodically removing snow and ice built up on the roof.
- Hiring licensed, bonded, and insured professionals to conduct snow and ice removal.
Additional resources on how to manage snow load risk:
- This graphic from the IBHS offers a helpful guide on how to measure the weight of snow and ice to prevent roof damage caused by accumulated snow and ice.
- This reoccurring column in Alaska Business, “Sean’s Safety Corner”, provides crucial information on the importance of inspection, maintenance, and removal to manage snow loads.
- This snow removal notice from the Municipality of Anchorage offers important guidance and recommendations on snow load removal for commercial and residential buildings (see page two for information on commercial buildings).
We hope that by utilizing these tips and resources, our mutual policyholders will be better equipped to manage and reduce their snow load risk this winter season.
Thank you for your continued partnership.
