Snow Blower - Safety Issues

Safety Issues

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that each year there are approximately 5,740 snowblower related injuries in the United States which require medical attention. One problem with the design of the snow blower is that snow can build up in the auger, jamming it and stalling the motor. This is complicated by the fact that the auger could deform before applying enough resistance to the motor to turn it off. If the jam is cleared by hand, it is possible for the auger to return to its natural shape suddenly and with great force, possibly injure the user; snow blowers are a leading cause of traumatic hand and finger amputations. The correct procedure is to turn off the engine, disengage the clutch and then clear the jam with a broom handle or other long object.

Most modern machines mitigate this problem by including a safety system known as the "Dead man's switch" (which may be electrical as implied or mechanical in design, such as a lever), to prevent the mechanism from rotating when the operator is not at the controls. In some jurisdictions, this is a mandatory requirement.

In December 2008, a snow blower accident made national headlines in the United States when Joe Sakic, the famous captain of the Colorado Avalanche hockey franchise of the National Hockey League, sustained three broken fingers and tendon damage when he attempted to clear the auger of his snowblower by hand. The team denied reports that Sakic required surgery to reattach one of his fingers.