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Snow means shovelling, and even a moderate amount of snow means you will use a great amount of effort to move it.
Pace yourself. Shovelling snow is a strenuous activity comparable to weightlifting — walking on uneven, slippery, and unstable ground while wearing heavy-duty clothing.
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The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety offers the following tips for safe shovelling:
- If possible, it is more practical to shovel early and often. Fresh dry snow is lighter and, therefore, more manageable than wet, heavily packed, or partly melted snow.
- Shovelling snow involves strenuous effort. If you load a shovel (weighing over 1 kg) with 5 kg of snow (just about the average) every 5 seconds, you will move a load of over 70 kg in one minute. Repeat for 15 minutes and you will have shovelled 1,000 kg of snow.
- Shovelling snow is hard on the heart and back. If you are physically fit, flexing and stretching exercises will loosen up the muscles and prepare them for the job ahead.
- Wear several layers of warm lightweight clothing that is hinder-free and comfortable to move in. The inner layer should be breathable or thermal underwear that allows perspiration to escape from the skin surface.
- Make sure your head, (especially your ears), feet and hands are well covered. Boots should be water-resistant and high-cut and should provide good traction. Gloves should be light and flexible and give you a good grip. If it is really cold, wear something over your mouth.
- Use a work/rest schedule if the temperatures are low or if it is windy.
- Shovels should be lightweight but sturdy, with a handle that reaches the user’s chest to reduce the amount of forward bending. Shafts with a bend rather than a straight style may be easier on your lower back when used correctly.
- Choose a shovel that best matches the exact task. A large push-style shovel will move large amounts of snow but may result in lifting too much weight. A smaller blade shovel (25 to 35 cm or about 10-14 in) should be used for lifting and throwing snow.
- Work at a steady pace. Shovelling will make you sweat, and, if you stop, you could get a chill.
- Push the snow rather than lift it. If you must throw it, take only as much snow as you can easily lift and turn your feet to the direction you’re throwing — don’t twist at the waist. Do not throw snow over your shoulder or to the side. Use a smaller shovel or lift partially filled loads to lighten the workload.
- Take frequent breaks and drink some warm, non-alcoholic fluids.
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