Bad winter forecast calls for safer, more efficient snow removal options

(BPT) - The weather outside is going to be frightful with projected colder-than-average temperatures and heavy snowfall again this winter season. That’s the bad news. The good news is that, thanks to newer technologies and product designs, you might not need to be outside in the cold shoveling or blowing all that snow. You could actually remain in the safety and comfort of your vehicle and plow your own driveway.

The HomePlow by Meyer is one example of a snow plow that has been downsized for convenient residential and small-business use. Weighing less than 250 pounds, it is simple to install and operate. It quickly mounts to almost any standard SUV or light pickup truck to allow even the longest driveways to be cleared in a matter of minutes. Best of all from a health and safety perspective is that the HomePlow is operated from inside the vehicle. This allows users to safely and comfortably clear their driveways via remote control without exposure to the cold, snow or ice.

A newer, more compact, but still highly effective version of the HomePlow, known as the HomePlow Basic (or Plow in a Box, as it is commonly called), became available in 2014. Sold in an easy-to-transport carton that fits into an SUV or pickup, it offers a highly cost-effective alternative for snow removal with a model priced under $2,000. Like the larger pre-assembled HomePlows, it offers the patented Auto-Angling system that controls the direction of the blade without need for any manual adjustment, automatically pushing snow off to the side. Once assembled, the HomePlow can be connected or disconnected in less than a minute without the need for any tools.

Technologies such as this can protect you from straining, slipping or exposure to frigid temperatures that cause hypothermia or frostbite in as little as a few minutes. This is especially true for the elderly or users with higher risk factors, such as diabetes, smoking and certain medication use. Nearly 28,000 elderly people die each year as a result of hypothermia, according to the National Institute on Aging.

Although snow shoveling represents the greater health risk, the use of a snow thrower or blower doesn’t fare much better from a safety perspective. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission in 2013 estimated that snow blowers/throwers claim nearly 5,800 victims each year in the U.S. The most likely victims are males aged 44 and older, according to the American Society for Surgery of the Hand. Some of the more common injuries are fractured bones, sprains, bruises, cuts and, in about 10 percent of the cases, amputation of a finger or entire hand.

While many of these injuries can be attributed to operator carelessness in attempting to clear clogged chutes while the motor is still running, the more alarming statistics relate to injuries that occur after the engine has been turned off. That’s because rotational force builds up, storing tension in the rotor blades. Once the clog is cleared, the impeller can rotate as much as a quarter or half turn, potentially causing injuries that could require medical attention. Such injuries have been the focus of intense publicity over the past two winters by numerous news sources.

To learn more how to minimize your safety and health risks while clearing your driveway of snow this season, visit www.thehomeplow.com.