On February 4, 2011, 6 people were injured and multiple vehicles were damaged when a buildup of snow and ice slid off the roof of the Cowboys Stadium. This was a frustrating and unexpected turn of events for the NFL just before Superbowl Sunday. Located in an area that does not normally see snow, they were not prepared for a tragedy such as this.
The unexpected snow accumulation had started to melt, forming a layer of ice underneath. It soon fell off in sheets that resembled an avalanche of crashing ice. Severin Sampson, an employee at the stadium, was critically injured with a fractured skull. Although he did recover, he now has permanent hearing loss along with a loud ringing in his ears. He successfully sued for his injuries, although his life will never again be the same.
Dallas is not an area that is prone to snow. Due to this, the architecture of the stadium had not factored in snowfall and its aftermath. The curvature of the dome, combined with the temperature and the fallen snow created the perfect recipe for disaster. While, thankfully, there were no deaths, lives have been permanently altered by the incident.
Similarly, a helpless man watched ice dangling from the Rockefeller Center. As he tried to warn nearby pedestrians, he was struck with a chunk of ice the size of a football. It took 80 stitches to close the wound. He still remembers hearing people screaming as he lay on the pavement bleeding. While many accidents are just that, accidents, snow guard and fence systems go a long way in preventing more tragedies from happening.
Proactive snow retention solutions are the key to preventing disasters like these
While Dallas is not prone to snow, many other states are. Snow fencing is quite popular and quite necessary in these regions.
Snow fencing is, simply put, a barrier on a roof that is designed to keep snow from falling off in large amounts at a time. When snow accumulates, it can quickly become quite heavy. The weight of the snow alone can cause it to break away and slide on most surfaces. If the right conditions allow it, ice will form as well, compounding the issue. If snow or ice was to slide off a roof onto a path, walkway, entrance way or even onto a sidewalk, the chance of injury or death is quite likely. In order to avoid these issues, snow fences are installed.
That’s where we come in
Founded in 2010, we at Rocky Mountain Snow Guards Inc. specialize in all types of snow fences to meet your various needs. Our unique Clamp to Seam snow fences are designed for quick, easy installation without the need for complicated tools or instructions. We understand that you have other things to focus on besides keeping the snow on your roof, so our product was designed to be as simple as possible for a contractor to use and install.
To view our full line of products please visit www.rockymountainsnowguards.com or feel free to call us at (877) 414-7606.