Qualifying Snow Retention Systems

Course Description:

Snow retention is a life/safety/property damage issue. System failure may result in contractor liability. No codes, standards or mandates exist for design, manufacture, use or testing of these kinds of devices...no “snow guard police.”

The snow guard market is rife with sales claims and marketing rhetoric. How can you distinguish between fact, science and sales hype? Look for proof! A responsible vendor should show you proof of its claims and ideally, publish results in full transparency on its website. If not, you simply must know what questions to ask.

This course provides a systematic approach to evaluating snow retention systems to avoid unnecessary risks of failure and potential liability. We will take a look at the six key areas of performance and quality assurance for which evidence can—and should be provided.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand the importance of verifying vendor sales claims and vendor transparency
2. Make informed decisions about snow guard and vendor selection
3. Understand the importance of life/safety as related to snow guards
4. Avoid liability for property damage/personal injury
5. Know the importance of job-specific design and engineering to job-specific design
6. Recognize that comprehensive testing is crucial to engineering