Many of us are wishing for a white Christmas or a snowed-in New Year’s and with that comes the inevitable draw to rolling around in the snow, making snow angels, and snowmen. Staying safe at home is just as important as on-the-job safety. So, we put together some tips for you!

Do You Wanna Build a Snowman?

First, we need to dress appropriately! Multiple layers are important to keep you warm and insulated.

Layer one is a wicking layer to make sure moisture does not accumulate on your skin.
Layer two is an insulated layer to keep you warm.
And layer three is your last layer that is waterproof, windproof, or protective of the elements!

Now we are ready to build a snowman! Keep in mind that the best type of snow for building a snowman is wet snow.

Snowman “legs:” Kneel down into the snow – do not bend at the waist! Scoop the snow between your hands and pack the snow with your hands until it forms a ball. This first snowball will be at the bottom of your snowman so you can add as much snow to it as you’d like by rolling it along the ground.

*Place the snowball on the ground and begin rolling it forward (always push!) To avoid making a cylinder while rolling the snowball change the directions you are rolling – keeping your body/hips square to the snowball.

Complete the same steps for the middle section of the snowman, however this time it shouldn’t be as big as the bottom. When building the trunk, keep it close to the base by either rolling it in a circle around the bottom section (keeping hips square) or roll in a straight line away from the bottom section and back to it. This prevents carrying a large, wet ball across the yard. Once this snowball has reached the desired size you need to carefully and properly lift it up and place it on top of the bottom section.

*To lift this snowball – square your body to the snowball, hip hinge to pick up the snowball and stand up using your legs, keep the snowball close to the body (elbows in and thumbs up) in the green zone. When placing this snowball on top of the bottom section take a step towards the bottom section (don’t reach out to place the snowball down).

Lastly, we have to create the head. Again scoop up the snow, form a ball, and then place it on top of the middle section. Decorate and deck out your new snowman as you see fit. You may find a snowman family is in order!

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Be sure to check out our other blogs for further injury prevention education and tips from Work Right NW!