Davey Tree Flipbooks

three days from start to finish." Downtown, equipment is limited due to high-traffic pedestrian areas. Employees use two Kubota tractors with plows to help clear sidewalks, and a pick-up truck with a plow blade maintains three parking lots. Employees use shovels to clear the rest. "We have 20 employees minimum hand shoveling," said Thomas Currier, regional manager, government/projects. "We rotate them out for breaks to keep 10 on the ground running at all times during a snow event." TRAINING, MAINTENANCE KEY TO PREPARATION "Training is important," Encinias said. "We do dry runs." Dry runs consist of employees driving and walking the routes and areas – ahead of a snow storm – so they know their responsibilities before a blizzard hits. Each piece of equipment has a designated route, and the route is detailed using color-coded maps that are kept in truck and tractor cabs. Preparing equipment is equally important. Davey keeps a master mechanic on-site at the federal center. "If the equipment isn't running, we're not running," Encinias said. Equally important for preparation is having a stockpile of salt and other product used to melt ice. Both locations combined can use between 50 tons and 70 tons per snow event. STAYING SAFE IN THE SNOW Of course slips, trips and falls and defensive driving are a big part of the safety training program in Denver. Somewhat surprisingly, staying hydrated and wearing the right clothes are also critical aspects of staying safe while clearing snow and ice. "I think about the extreme cold," Currier said. "I want to make sure that during these long hours the crews are taking time to get warm and dry, and that means making sure they bring extra clothes." Wearing thick layers to protect from bitter cold and biting winds, while physically exerting themselves for hours on end, means the crews sweat – a lot. So staying hydrated is important. Safety also extends to the client, which has thousands of employees at both locations in addition to heavy vehicle and pedestrian traffic from the general public. That's where defensive driving and careful application of ice-melting materials come into play. "They do additional training," Pshigoda said. "We also have a regional safety specialist, Jeremy Lewis, who lives in Denver and is right there to help us. That helps tremendously." November/December 2016 | The Davey Bulletin 15 The pedestrian areas around the Byron R. White U.S. Courthouse in downtown Denver are among the many large surface areas Davey must keep clear of ice and snow during winter months. Davey cares for the landscaping year-round. The Alfred A. Arraj U.S. Courthouse in downtown Denver is another large space at the Denver Federal District Davey keeps clear of ice and snow during winter months. Snow must be cleared from here largely by hand. During winter, Davey is responsible for clearing: The Denver Federal Center • 9 miles of road surfaces • 470,000 square feet of sidewalk • 45,000 square feet of building entrances • 67 acres of parking lots • 29,800 square feet of plazas and loading docks The Denver Federal District • 16.36 acres of sidewalks, plazas and parking lots for 5 buildings downtown

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