If there are no magic snowmen around the next time you need to work at altitude, walkovers can have you ‘walking in the air’ just as safely, if not more so.
These invaluable platforms double as demarcation systems, highlighting where it is safe to step on the surface of a roof that might be quite fragile in places.
They act as a form of edge protection, often coming with guardrails to prevent you from accidentally stepping off of the walkover, which in turn keeps you a safe distance from the edge of the roof itself.
And they can provide a flat walking surface on pitched roofs, with stairs or steps to climb to the elevated portion, rather than trying to scramble up a slope – which can be a particular concern in snowy or icy conditions.
If, unlike in the song, you don’t have the luxury of ‘holding very tight’ at all times, the guardrails on walkovers can be a particularly important element of edge protection.
But for absolute peace of mind, man anchors can also tether you to a safe point on the roof, preventing you from falling – a real-world equivalent of holding the eponymous Snowman’s hand.