Custodial, grounds staff clear snow

5:10 p.m., March 1, 2005--If you think that shoveling your driveway and sidewalk at home is an arduous, time-consuming task, imagine having to clear a safe path to the more than 200 buildings on UD’s Newark campus during an average winter snowstorm.

Such a challenge is met by the UD custodian staff as they team up with grounds crew personnel to make sure that campus walkways and parking lots are free of ice and snow when students and faculty report for work and classes.

John Warren Jr., director of facilities management, academic custodial services, said the task usually begins when forecasters predict the possibility of a storm like the snowfall that blanketed the UD campus Monday afternoon and evening, Feb. 28.

“We watch the forecast and communicate with grounds services, and then we start planning while we watch the track of the storm,” Warren said. “When a storm comes, we have to strategize and see how many people we have and decide how many to call in.”

Service to the more than 125 academic buildings and 65 residence halls on the UD’s Newark campus is provided by 150 custodians serving in academic buildings, plus an additional 80 custodians who work in UD residence Halls, Warren said.

“We take care of all intra-building systems, including ramps and steps,” Warren said. “We clear a path to the point where grounds personnel can use their snow plows. The grounds staff is responsible for all pathways and parking lots.”

While certain custodial staff members may use snow-blowing equipment, most of the clearing involves hand shoveling and putting down up to 10,000 pounds of ice-melt materials during an average snowstorm, Warren said.

“We have certain buildings that we have to get done first, starting with Laurel Hall, [home of Student Health Services],” Warren said. “We also have to be sure that people have access to academic buildings when classes start at 8 a.m.”

Despite the strenuous nature of work done in less than ideal conditions by staff whose primary tasks usually involve cleaning and maintaining indoor areas, Warren said that members of the custodial staff, who often work in teams during snow emergencies, do their task well and efficiently.

“It’s very physical work, and the custodians and the supervisors do a great job,” Warren said. “They get out there and get things done. I’m very proud of them.”

Article by Jerry Rhodes
Photos by Kathy F. Atkinson and Tyler Jacobson, AS ‘05

E-mail this article

To learn how to subscribe to UDaily, click here.