‘We need a lot of room to do our job’: Safety top of mind for snowplow drivers

Snow removal is a big job, and Robert Dolinski is proud of the role he plays in it.

He’s been a snowplow operator for seven years and a truck driver for 30. He’s based in the village of Odessa, which is around 70 km east of Regina.

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“At the end of the day, it’s satisfying to be able to make the road safer for the public and, of course, all our families,” Dolinski said.

He said the job meant he was able to spend more time with his family, which he’s grateful for.

“Family is everything,” he said. “That’s why it’s so important to allow us the room to stay back and stay safe while we’re doing our job to get everybody home to their families. That’s that’s number one.”

Robert Dolinski and his snowplow

He spoke out about some close calls with drivers on the highways — citing stories of vehicles passing him in the right lane with his right blade down.

“When we put our wing out, that’s an extra 12 feet of truck, so it’s taking up almost two lanes,” he explained. “It’s a humongous danger to do that, especially with the snowplow.”

At that moment, Dolinski’s biggest concern was making sure the vehicle got around his plow safely.

But he encourages drivers to never do this and proceed with caution when encountering a snowplow.

“Stay back, give us room and stay safe,” Dolinski said. “That’s the biggest thing we need. We need a lot of room to do our job.”

While pushing snow, snowplows can cause what’s called a ‘mini blizzard,’ which reduces visibility. (Nicole Garn/980 CJME)

He said the Highway Hotline is an important resource for plow operators.

Dolinski and other crew members team up when conditions get really bad.

“We’re one team, he said. “We run into other sections when we’re needed, say when we don’t have weather in our section, we’ll shift to another section to help them out.”

While out on a shift that can last up to 14 hours, Dolinski calls in reports up to three times a day as the weather changes.

Dolinski just celebrated his seven year anniversary of snowplowing.

“Running a plow, it’s a very important job, and I felt I can do a good job at that,” he said.

Ministry of Highways ready for storm

According to Environment Canada, some parts of the province can expect to see up to 20 centimetres this weekend. 

Tom Lees, Assistant Deputy Minister with the operation and maintenance division, Ministry of Highways, said it’s ready for the weather.

“We’ve got over 300 snow plows across the province that are ready to go at any moment, and we’ve also got our salt facilities full and ready to go,” he said.

Tom Lee is with the Ministry of Highways. He said Saskatchewan’s weather patterns can change quickly, meaning road conditions can also change in a snap. (Nicole Garn/980 CJME)

He said the ministry will be keep a close eye on the forecast and deploy crews accordingly.

Lees recommends checking Highway Hotline before you hit the roads. He points out some changes to terminology for users.

“Our goal is to make sure we’re providing information to the public to make the best decision for themselves to get to where they’re going to safely, and to also ensure that we’re trying to provide safe passage for our plow operators as well,” he said.

Terminology changes include:

• Bare: Road is marked in black, meaning all wheels of a passenger vehicle are on a bare surface
• Partly Covered: Road is marked in yellow, meaning two wheels of a passenger vehicle are on a snow or ice-covered surface
• Covered: Road is marked in pink, meaning all wheels of the vehicle are on snow or ice
• Travel Not Recommended: Road is marked in blue, meaning that visibility is less than 250 metres and the road could become impassable
• Closed: Road is marked in red, meaning the highway is impassable

When a blue light is flashing on a snowplow, this means it is in active winter operations.

“Approach them with caution, slow down, give them space,” he said. “It creates what we call like a mini snow blizzard, where visibility is really poor. So slow down and pass when it’s safe to do so.”

If it’s not safe to pass, drivers are asked to be patient. Snowplow operators pull over every 10 to 15 km to make sure motorists can pass safely.

Read more:

• Police preach caution on roads and highways after significant snowfall
• Roof at Mosaic’s Colonsay potash processing facility partially collapses
• Man taken to hospital with serious injuries after snowmobile flips in Saskatoon