Everyone hates shoveling snow; there’s no doubt about that. It’s tiring, it’s painful, and it seems to be a never-ending battle. Snow and ice removal is definitely an inconvenience, but it also presents a massive and very prevalent safety hazard.

According to the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission, more than 118,000 people in 2007 were treated in emergency rooms for injuries related to shoveling snow or removing ice. This spectrum of injuries ranged all the way from sprains to strains to lacerations and even lost fingers. Shoveling snow has even been known to bring on massive heart attacks. Shovelers who are not so physically fit are 30 times more likely to have a heart attack while shoveling snow. And if you think you’re safe with a snow blower, think again; more than 16,000 of the aforementioned injuries happened with a snowblower. Blisters, back pain, heart attacks—any way you look at it, shoveling snow is bad news.

Ok, so snow removal is dangerous—but it’s also dangerous NOT to do it. Snow buildup brings ice buildup, and ice buildup means nasty slip and fall injuries. The Canadian Institute for Health Information reported that 11,919 people landed in the ER in 2002–2003 after slipping and falling on ice with broken arms, contusions, head injuries, etc.

Ice falls are dangerous for everyone, but especially dangerous for the elderly. Over one-third of all people hospitalized after falling on ice were 60 to 79 years of age and were hospitalized for an average of 7.6 days.

For business owners, failing to remove snow and ice is also risky for the pocketbook. Every winter, thousands of Americans slip and fall on ice in parking lots, sidewalks, driveways, or steps in commercial areas. These same Americans file expensive lawsuits for their injuries, leaving you and your business with expensive legal costs and a headache. Slip and fall cases dominate America’s personal injury lawsuits, and thousands of attorneys are ready and rearing to nail you for ice and snow on your commercial property.

Ice and snow buildup brings a mountain of hazards you don’t need in your hectic life. With so many safety hazards and colossal expense potential, you can’t afford not to keep snow and ice off of your property. A daunting task? Maybe. But luckily for you, it doesn’t have to be as long as you’ve got a radiant snow melting system in place.