The snow and ice management industry relies heavily on a massive labor force, says Jason Case, CSP, CEO of Case Snow Management in North Attleborough, Massachusetts. His company hires between 700 and 1,000 seasonal workers to perform shoveling, operate equipment and drive trucks.
To overcome the lack of experience, Case has custom built Case University, an online training program that is instrumental in educating all levels of his workforce. "As the first company in the world to achieve the ISO SN9001 designation, we pride ourselves on training, constantly monitoring, measuring and improving the training platforms to ensure all team members have the knowledge to be safe and productive in the field," he says.
Case would like to see the "fragmented and unregulated" nature of the industry addressed.
"Thousands of contractors and municipalities are spreading chemicals into the environment with very little training and education to the drivers who are deploying those materials," he says. "The industry needs to push for licensing, certification credentials, ISO regulation and environmental awareness in order to force the men and women performing the work to be aware of the risks and potential safety hazards that surround them. I would imagine most contractors don't feel that way because, typically, more regulation means more cost and tougher to find qualified help. However, the big picture is protecting our water supply and ecosystems for future generations to enjoy."
Snow fighter Joseph Walton agrees that labor is a constant challenge.
"Since we have not found the magic wand that makes well trained and industrious temporary labor appear in sufficient numbers just prior to a snow storm, we have opted to target properties that require less manpower in our sales effort," says Walton, the CFO of Glenhaven Snow Systems in Montgomeryville, Pennsylvania. "We have also emphasized the use of sidewalk equipment wherever possible to reduce the amount of manpower required to service a site."
A growing, maturing business has helped Matthew Snyder address some of his labor issues.
"This has actually been a benefit to the labor challenge – both for the summer and winter season – as being able to offer consistent, year-round employment has greatly stabilized my workforce and decreased my employee turnover," says Snyder, president of Snow Hill in Alfred, New York. "I offer my year-round employees a base salary because I require 24/7 availability during the snow season. This way they can know that they can provide for their income needs regardless of the weather.”
Snyder invests heavily in training, drawing from a variety of industry resources such as the ASCA-C educational program provided by the Accredited Snow Contractors Association.
"At this point I almost prefer hiring someone with no experience, knowing that the training I can equip them with will benefit them and my business, and I won't have to help them overcome prior bad habits they may have learned," he says.
The responsibility of addressing the labor force falls on the industry as a whole, Snyder says.
"The labor challenges our industry faces will not fix themselves ... it is up to us to analyze why we have a people shortage and look at what we can do to make it more likely that we can attract the workers we need," he says. "This will require a broad analysis of our business and the industry. We need to make sure that our businesses are structured in such a way as to be able to offer financially beneficial positions to our workers and prepare to train them fully in what is required to work in this industry.”
This will also require a shift away from the superhuman requirement of being able to plow through the duration of a storm for 30 to 40 hours, he says. “Contactors must use common sense to know that the average worker can really only safely handle a 10- to 20-hour period before they need a chance to recover. Therefore, there may be a need for shifts or multiple crews for businesses in areas that regularly experience larger events, Snyder adds.
"This is all a part of building a strong company culture that values each individual as a critical part of the team."
To overcome the lack of experience, Case has custom built Case University, an online training program that is instrumental in educating all levels of his workforce. "As the first company in the world to achieve the ISO SN9001 designation, we pride ourselves on training, constantly monitoring, measuring and improving the training platforms to ensure all team members have the knowledge to be safe and productive in the field," he says.
Case would like to see the "fragmented and unregulated" nature of the industry addressed.
"Thousands of contractors and municipalities are spreading chemicals into the environment with very little training and education to the drivers who are deploying those materials," he says. "The industry needs to push for licensing, certification credentials, ISO regulation and environmental awareness in order to force the men and women performing the work to be aware of the risks and potential safety hazards that surround them. I would imagine most contractors don't feel that way because, typically, more regulation means more cost and tougher to find qualified help. However, the big picture is protecting our water supply and ecosystems for future generations to enjoy."
Snow fighter Joseph Walton agrees that labor is a constant challenge.
"Since we have not found the magic wand that makes well trained and industrious temporary labor appear in sufficient numbers just prior to a snow storm, we have opted to target properties that require less manpower in our sales effort," says Walton, the CFO of Glenhaven Snow Systems in Montgomeryville, Pennsylvania. "We have also emphasized the use of sidewalk equipment wherever possible to reduce the amount of manpower required to service a site."
A growing, maturing business has helped Matthew Snyder address some of his labor issues.
"This has actually been a benefit to the labor challenge – both for the summer and winter season – as being able to offer consistent, year-round employment has greatly stabilized my workforce and decreased my employee turnover," says Snyder, president of Snow Hill in Alfred, New York. "I offer my year-round employees a base salary because I require 24/7 availability during the snow season. This way they can know that they can provide for their income needs regardless of the weather.”
Snyder invests heavily in training, drawing from a variety of industry resources such as the ASCA-C educational program provided by the Accredited Snow Contractors Association.
"At this point I almost prefer hiring someone with no experience, knowing that the training I can equip them with will benefit them and my business, and I won't have to help them overcome prior bad habits they may have learned," he says.
The responsibility of addressing the labor force falls on the industry as a whole, Snyder says.
"The labor challenges our industry faces will not fix themselves ... it is up to us to analyze why we have a people shortage and look at what we can do to make it more likely that we can attract the workers we need," he says. "This will require a broad analysis of our business and the industry. We need to make sure that our businesses are structured in such a way as to be able to offer financially beneficial positions to our workers and prepare to train them fully in what is required to work in this industry.”
This will also require a shift away from the superhuman requirement of being able to plow through the duration of a storm for 30 to 40 hours, he says. “Contactors must use common sense to know that the average worker can really only safely handle a 10- to 20-hour period before they need a chance to recover. Therefore, there may be a need for shifts or multiple crews for businesses in areas that regularly experience larger events, Snyder adds.
"This is all a part of building a strong company culture that values each individual as a critical part of the team."
