Research on dangerous work emphasizes the practices and procedures organizations use to make the work safer. Yet not all dangers can be eliminated. Workers face negative consequences from exposure to physical harm in the workplace; and still, workers persist. Exploring how workers manage both psychological and physical demands in challenging conditions is important for understanding how workers continue operating in dangerous environments despite the potential negative consequences. To examine workers’ experiences of dangerous work, we conducted an ethnographic study of snowmakers – individuals who traverse ski resorts and operate snow guns to make artificial snow. Snowmakers face frequent dangers in their work, resulting in injuries and potential death. Through this inductive qualitative study, we find that snowmakers managed experiences of dangerous work through two main auxiliary routines: play and respite. Play routines allowed workers to create moments of fun, improving psychological experiences while paradoxically making the work more dangerous. Respite routines allowed workers to create moments of rest, alleviating physical demands and occasionally providing psychological benefits through socializing. We found that snowmakers adapted the routines to the period of the season. That is, workers considered the dangers, along with psychological and physical demands as they carefully selected which auxiliary routines to perform and when. We contribute to research on dangerous work and routines by theorizing how workers may actively transform their experiences of dangerous work through enacting auxiliary routines.
