Sphere No.44 (Mar 2018)

Take care of your people Enduring the cold with frosty bravado is not seen as a virtue. All three companies recognise that cold weather environments take a toll on people undertaking work in these conditions, causing higher levels of fatigue. Work schedules allow for complex tasks to take longer in cold conditions. Adherence is rigorous. “Strict policies and procedures focused on reducing the risk of injury, slips and/or falls attributed to snow or ice exist,” explains Frank De Cesare, Vice President of Marketing and Sales, Park’N Fly. For example, Park’N Fly knows that demand goes up for valet service in the winter as people prefer not to dig their own cars out from under perhaps weeks of persistent snowfall. “Park’N Fly is there to help and ensure the customer is taken care of,” explains Mr De Cesare. While also protecting employees, that is. Staff do the heavy lifting and need regular rest to ensure safety. They also lay salt – over 900 tonnes of it at the Toronto operations alone each winter – and provide electricity for clients who pay to have their car plugged into a heater to protect the battery during cold spells. Husky Energy has similar “Fatigue management” and “Cold weather management” systems in place to ensure heavy indoor rotation for those working outdoors in especially extreme conditions. It also ensures that its systems and equipment are used by its contractors, not just its direct employees. Sphere #44 2018 16 3 Sweden has another challenge. Much of their technical work is done high up at the top of a cell phone tower. All year round, for safety reasons, the company forbids climbing in the dark. However, in the winter, the days are very short. From November to February, there may only be a handful of working hours each day. Combined with the extra time taken to get to inaccessible facilities in the snow and ice and the extra time taken to fix problems, winter is a special challenge. Accordingly, much of the routine maintenance work is done during the extra-long summer days, with winter reserved for keeping the service in top form. Beware falling ice Those employees face other challenges approaching cell phone towers and working at height in the winter, including the threat of killer icicles. While this may seem preposterous to some, a sharp, heavy knife plunging down from a great height is no joke. In the particularly harsh winter of 2010, five people were killed and 150 were injured in St Petersburg, Russia. The danger is very real, especially when the thaw comes at the end of a long winter, and those climbing tall structures are at high risk. 3 Sweden mounts special ice-protection structures on all link antennas to prevent damage. Especially tall masts will have special armour plating to protect climbers and parking spots close to the tower (to shorten equipment transport) with extra armour plating provided to protect parked cars and snowmobiles and their passengers. The equipment itself is normally manufactured for all weather conditions. Only rarely has 3 Sweden had to replace equipment that wasn’t up to the cold. However, replacing faulty equipment can be problematic if persistent ice has formed Salt: over 900 tons of it at the Park’N Fly Toronto operations alone each winter. You’re going to need more than a spare credit card to dig these cars out in the Canadian winter. CHILLING WITH CKHH >> Whether it’s rain, sleet or snow, nothing will keep 3 Sweden from their rounds!