What state comments mention
| Agency and period | Comment (paraphrased) |
|---|---|
| Illinois DOT (2009-2016) | A longer-lasting flexible blade cut down on blade changes, reducing the number of injuries |
| Ohio DOT (2007-2008) | Reported no workers’ compensation claims due to lifting plow blades since the switch from steel blades |
| Iowa DOT (2014-2015) | Operators called one heavy blade very heavy and difficult to install |
| Minnesota DOT (2007-2008) | One route was “very impressed” by saving the time and safety of not having to change cutting edges two or three times a season |
These are operator and agency opinions on specific products. They do not establish how much any design reduces injuries.
How to count it in your own cost
Injury cost is usually left out of the blade budget because nobody counts handling separately from the part.
- Count changes. Number of blade changes per truck per season.
- Count time. Crew hours per change.
- Count heavy lifts. Weight of each edge and how many people it takes.
- Count incidents. Any injuries, near misses or strains linked to changes.
- Add them as separate lines in the cost sheet, with money values only where you have your own figures.
What not to do
- Do not invent a dollar value per injury.
- Do not claim a product prevents injuries unless you have your own records.
Reducing handling risk
Most handling injuries are prevented by planning the lift rather than by lifting carefully.
- Use lifting aids and two-person lifts.
- Choose handleable section sizes where possible.
- Change in the shop, not at the roadside.
A simple log you can start today
Make a sheet with one row per blade change: date, truck, edge type, number of people, minutes taken, any strain or near miss, and notes. After one winter you will have your own numbers for changes and time, and a first look at handling risk. Share the summary with the safety committee and use it to judge whether a lighter edge or a longer-lasting design is worth testing.
Boundary: state comments are operator opinions, not controlled evidence; no injury statistics are given or implied.
Sources and further reading. External references are dated; where a figure is quoted, the link shows where it came from.
Clear Roads Product Experience Feedback 2006-2021: Combined Results, Blades and Plows (Covers state feedback 2006-2021; accessed 2026-10-24) ↗Should scheduled blade-change labor count the same as an emergency roadside replacement? ↗JOMA Style Blade Cost per Season: Comparing Against Two Steel Change-Outs ↗Carbide snow plow blades ↗Reading NOAA’s 2026-27 Winter Outlook as a Blade Buyer: What It Can and Cannot Tell You ↗What Is a Worn Carbide Edge Worth as Scrap? Reading Recycler Quotes Carefully ↗
