Sustainable Winter Management (SWiM®) Policy and proof case for keeping snow, ice, and your costs under control
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ost control, risk management, rising expectations for sustainable practices, and near perfect conditions are realistic challenges that snow & ice management professionals and facility managers are faced with. Liability, now from the overuse of deicing salts (e.g. “rock salt” – sodium chloride), is a new challenge that the snow & ice management industry must address head on. Furthermore, the expectations for “green” and “sustainable” alternatives are on the rise.
By Phill Sexton
cost more to implement, case studies have proven multiple economic and environmental benefits when SWiM guidelines are followed, including saving money, managing risk, and reducing salt use. Achieving these results also benefit the environment and your reputation.
3) P revent: Bonding of snow and ice, waste, re-work, and safety incidents
Although over 100 criteria must be met for properties or highway departments to earn SWiM certification, the broad criteria of policies are easily available to follow. These straightforward categories of policy enable standards of practice for in-house, contracted, or municipal operations.
6) Optimize: Equipment, materials, time, and data
4) A nalyze: Level of Service (LOS), data, and variances 5) I mprove: Safety, level of service, productivity
Proof
Several pilots and proof case studies analyzed SWiM® certified SITES™ and ROADS™ over the past Numerous research studies validate three winter seasons (2017/2018 to that most non-point source chloride 2019/2020). Researchers with the contamination of freshwater aquifers Rochester Institute of Technology originate from parking surfaces (RIT) and the NY State Pollution and local roads. Therefore, facility Prevention Institute (NYSP2I) managers and winter management assessed SWiM program results operators or contractors need to for a multi-location retail property be prepared for future regulations owner located in the snow belt and liability linked to their use of region of Syracuse, NY. These de-icing salts to control slippery results validate significant cost, winter conditions on properties risk, and environmental benefits. and roadways. Furthermore, there For example, two sets of retail store are numerous proof case studies properties owned by the same that confirm public and private Policy company, with the same level of organizations alike can save big on service (LOS) expectations, virtually Policy The six categories of SWiM policy salt and their budgets. The six categories of SWiM policy standards include; the same parking space footprint, standards include; 1) Measure: You must measure to improve, particularly salt and time outputs and location only a few miles from The Sustainable Winter Management 2) Calibrate: Equipment capacity, manpower, response times, salt, and other materials 1) Measure: You must measure to each other is compared. In the (SWiM) program guidelines 3) Prevent: Bonding of snow and ice, waste, re-work, and safety incidents improve, particularly salt and time www.witadvisers/swim, are 4) Analyze: Level of Service (LOS), data, and variances following case study table, there outputs was one set of stores who followed readily available for snow and 5) Improve: Safety, level of service, productivity 2) Calibrate: Equipment capacity, SWiM guidelines and one set who ice management operators and 6) Optimize: Equipment, materials, time, and data manpower, response times, salt, did not follow the guidelines which is facility managers to follow. Unlike and other materials compared. sustainability initiatives that typically Proof 18
Several pilots and proof case studies analyzed SWiM® certified SITES™ and ROADS™ over the ISSUE 2 – 2020 | SNOW MANAGER past three winter seasons (2017/2018 to 2019/2020). Researchers with the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) and the NY State Pollution Prevention Institute (NYSP2I) assessed SWiM program results for a multi-location retail property owner located in the snow belt region of
