That beautiful looking icicle is actually dangerous

• Icicles and falling snow can be a hazard
• Proper precautions should be taken when clearing ice and snow
• Be aware of your surroundings in the winter

Though winter snowfall and icicles can be beautiful, they can also be a hazard.

Falling snow and icicles on the edges of roofs can pose a danger to unsuspecting people below. If not dealt with properly, it could lead to serious injury.

“It’s a hazard that you want to pay attention to,” WorkSafeBC Senior Manager of Prevention Field Services, Barry Nakahara told Kelowna10.

“In particular, it’s warming up now in some parts of the province, but it’ll freeze again and create more icicles and perhaps loosen some of that snow that’s on roofs,” Nakahara said.

Nakahara’s prevention responsibilities focus on the need for employers to ensure safe spaces, but private home owners can also take note at this time of year and he is not recommending people run out and start clearing their roofs.

“You’ve got to think about specifically what your building and structure is designed to do, and what loads and stresses it’s designed to withstand,” Nakahara said.

In communities that do experience a lot of snow, Nakahara said that many of the houses there have tin roofs which allows the snow to slide off the side of them, preventing a great degree of snow accumulation.

While he’s not an expert on the residential side, Nakahara said from personal experience, he knows improved venting of roofs and insulation can help with reducing icicle buildup.

“I think many people have seen solutions that can prevent ice building up, like these deicing cables and electric heaters that go across the eaves of roofs,” Nakahara said.

He said when you do need to remove snow and icicles on roofs, there’s a lot of considerations in terms of hazards, and employers should be taking steps to assess and deal with those hazards to make sure no one’s at risk.

“It’s really all about planning. Identifying what those hazards are to your workers who are clearing snow,” Nakahara said.

Some of those hazards include things falling from above onto workers, or the potential for workers to fall off or through roof structures.

Nakahara said in some cases, it might be as simple as restricting access to an area while the hazard exists, and in other cases it might be removal and mitigation strategies.

Owner responsibilities

Owners of buildings are expected to take some responsibility for the potential hazards associated with snow and icicle buildup.

Vancouver based Diamond and Diamond are personal injury lawyers. On their website they break down some of the things people should be aware of.

In terms of prevention, they advise the use of long handled snow rakes, but added it may be wise to hire a professional if a ladder is required in order to reach the roof. Installation of commercially available electric heat cables or tape along the edge of the roof may keep large icicles from forming while also preventing ice dams that can result in water infiltration and damage.

The company says under the B.C. Premises Liability Act, an “occupier” of a structure (frequently, but not always, the owner) must make the building “reasonably safe”. This means the occupier must take steps to either remove or otherwise address hazards related to the condition of the property or the activities of the occupier or any known third parties.

As for attempting to remove these winter dangers, WorkSafeBC’s Nakahara said it’s not always straightforward.

“It’s not a normal day to day task, and there’s some unique dangers and risks associated with that type of work,”

“I don’t even want to think about getting hit by a falling icicle. Some of them from what I’ve seen can be pretty big, and certainly they can hurt people.”