Snow & Ice Management

As a commercial property owner, are you struggling to find a commercial snow & ice management contractor for your buildings? In recent years many small and medium contractors have dropped out of the snow industry due to multiple contributing factors.

Insurance continues to be one of the top challenges for the snow removal industry.  Labour, fuel, salt and equipment costs are rising rapidly, but failure to attain adequate insurance at a reasonable (or any) cost is something that can shut down a snow management company instantly.  Personal injury lawyers have targeted this industry as it is very difficult to defend.  The Homeowners and Occupiers Act states that a building owner (or contractor) must do what is reasonable to keep a property reasonably safe.

The challenge is that during a storm, contractors try to execute a perfect plan using very imperfect information.  Weather forecasts are rarely perfect and are sometimes miles off the mark.  For example, a 1C degree error in forecasting temperature can mean the difference between a rainstorm and a freezing rain event.  However, in the case of a claim, only the records of what happened are usually available.  So, contractors are judged against what actually happened, not what was expected or forecasted.  For people unfamiliar with the snow management industry, a contractor can appear to be negligent when that was not the case at all.  In essence, we are judged against a standard of perfection, not reasonableness.  Large settlements have been paid out as a result, and insurance companies have pulled out of the market as it is simply “too risky”.  The very few who have remained charge high premiums, and exorbitant deductibles – $50k to $100k per claim are becoming normal!  In an increasing number of cases, insurance is not offered to contractors at all!

Beyond the actual risk profile of the industry, insurance companies are also impacted by disasters occurring anywhere they may have exposure, as well as the performance of stock markets.  Insurers invest the premiums they receive in financial markets and expect the returns to help generate their profits.  When markets go down – as they have recently- this revenue is reduced, so they need to make it up by increasing premiums.

Many small and medium contractors have dropped out of the industry due to these costs or may not have even received an option to purchase a policy.  Virtually no new snow management companies have entered the market in the past couple of years.

As a commercial building owner/manager, it is important to ensure that your contractor has adequate coverage and can financially withstand the cost of a deductible or two.  If not, you may be left mid-winter without snow removal services.  It’s important to vet your contractor before the snow season begins, as replacing a contractor in mid-season is usually very difficult.

MPS has insulated itself from these problems by forming a “self-insured retention” group with other like-minded contractors.  Through the use of best practices in training, equipment maintenance, record keeping, and claims management, we are able to effectively manage and defend claims.  This has allowed us to secure stable and sustainable insurance coverage.

Reach out today for your Commercial Snow Removal Quote!

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Are the snow piles on your commercial property creating safety concerns?

After significant snowfalls or a series of smaller accumulations without a significant thaw, the snow piles on your commercial property may become unsafe. On commercial properties, there are designated snow hold locations that your snowplow contractor will push and pile the snow too. When the snow piles become too large, they take up parking spaces, reduce sightline visibility and cause narrowed laneways. If your property has regular deliveries to the loading docks, big snow piles can create big headaches. Large trucks require very wide turning radiuses to get to the back of buildings and access loading docks. To keep your deliveries and pickups running smoothly, make sure your snow piles don’t become too large.

These aren’t the only concerns created by large snow piles. Inevitably, when the temperature starts to warm up, the snow piles will melt onto the parking lots and walkways, then re-freeze at night, creating slip and fall hazards. These freeze-thaw cycles create significant safety and legal issues for property managers.

Once snow piles become too large, the snow needs to be relocated to another spot on your property or removed from the site completely; this is called snow relocation or snow haulage. To move large piles of snow, large wheel loaders are needed to come to the property at night when the parking lot is empty and relocate the piles. Loaders can scoop up large buckets of snow and move it to other locations on the property where it does not create safety concerns. If your property does not have another spot to pile snow, the snow will need to be hauled off-site. Snow haulage requires the coordination of loaders and dump trucks to bring the snow to a legal dumpsite. Snow piles are full of salt, garbage and other pollutants, so dumping snow illegally can create environmental issues and potential fines.

Not all snow contractors are able to provide snow relocation or snow haulage. If you’d like a quote for your property contact us today.

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Quality snow and ice management is vital to the safety of your clients and employees during the winter months. Additionally, quick and effective removal of snow and ice from public areas is required by local bylaws. However, choosing the right commercial snow removal & ice management company in the GTA can be daunting.

When deciding on which snow & ice management company to select for your winter grounds maintenance needs, you are essentially selecting which “contract” is best for you to accept, and therefore, you should feel comfortable with what that contract contains. Entering into a poorly written contract can leave you on the hook for sub-par service and increased slip & fall insurance claims.

A good commercial snow removal & ice management contract should be fair to both parties and be accurate in describing the work to be performed. It should also provide detailed pricing for service costs that are included and for those that are defined as “extra” to the agreement. Finally, the contract should specifically describe when and how snow removal services will be performed throughout the length of the contract.

Here are some red flags to be aware of when looking for the right contract:

• Vague specifications that leave the scope of work open to interpretation
• An agreement that is little more than an invoice or bill of sale, with no proof of adequate liability insurance or WSIB coverage
• A contract that does not clearly explain the timing of service
• Lack of, or poorly detailed identification of which areas will be serviced
• Hidden costs
• Without a proper ‘termination’ clause

Why Choose MPS?

MPS has been providing high-quality commercial snow removal & ice management services for over 30 years. Our team is comprised of individuals that are passionate about superior workmanship and customer service. By using up-to-date expertise, resources and industry-leading technology, our staff is able to effectively perform commercial snow removal for your property. To supplement our hardworking team is top-of-the-line machinery and communication equipment. This effective combination of people and technology is what has led to a stellar reputation for quality in everything that we do. Some things that set MPS above the rest in commercial snow removal are:

• On-call commercial snow removal. Snow and ice doesn’t only happen during the day. Deal with unexpected weather with ease by calling on our team 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
• Reliability. MPS has years of experience servicing medium and large buildings that experience a high volume of traffic during the day, allowing little room for a delayed response or poorly executed commercial snow removal.
• Personalized commercial snow removal. Not every property requires the same snow removal methods, which is why MPS works with clients to develop a customized plan to determine which resources and services are most effective for your needs.
• Value-added services such as nightly site inspections, on- or off-site snow relocation, salt bins, curb staking, and de-icing, to provide our clients with the peace of mind during the colder months.

In addition, MPS holds several certifications that place our company at the forefront of commercial snow removal companies in the area. These certifications include:

• ISO 9001 / SN 9001 Quality Management Certified (one of only 2 companies in Canada to achieve such a designation)
• SIMA Certified Snow Professionals and SIMA Certified Advanced Snow Managers
• Smart About Salt Certified Company

In the end, our snow removal service offers peace of mind that your job is done right the first time. To learn more about our snow removal services, contact us today.

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