Walking on Ice …Walking on Ice …And other slippery And other slippery

surfacessurfaces

Walking on Ice & Snow, Walking on Ice & Snow, etc.etc.

No matter how No matter how well the ice & snow well the ice & snow are removed from are removed from campus streets & campus streets & sidewalks, people sidewalks, people will encounter will encounter slippery surfaces slippery surfaces when walking when walking outdoors in the outdoors in the winter.winter.

Walking on Ice & Snow, Walking on Ice & Snow, etc.etc.

Many cold Many cold weather injuries weather injuries are the result of are the result of falls on ice-falls on ice-covered streets covered streets and sidewalks.and sidewalks.

Walking on Ice & Snow, Walking on Ice & Snow, etc.etc.

Getting around on Getting around on campus in icy campus in icy conditions calls conditions calls for planning, for planning, caution, and a caution, and a little common little common sense.sense.

What to WearWhat to Wear Dress warmly and Dress warmly and

wear boots with wear boots with non-skid soles. non-skid soles. (Avoid plastic and (Avoid plastic and leather soles.)leather soles.)

Wear a bright scarf Wear a bright scarf or hat or reflective or hat or reflective gear so drivers can gear so drivers can see you.see you.

What to WearWhat to Wear Keep warm, but Keep warm, but

make sure you can make sure you can hear what’s going hear what’s going on around you.on around you.

Whatever you wear, Whatever you wear, make sure it make sure it doesn’t block your doesn’t block your vision or make it vision or make it hard for you to hear hard for you to hear traffic.traffic.

What to WearWhat to Wear During the day, During the day,

wear sunglasses wear sunglasses to help you see to help you see better and avoid better and avoid hazards.hazards.

How to WalkHow to Walk Plan ahead and Plan ahead and

give yourself give yourself enough time.enough time.

When walking on When walking on steps, always use steps, always use the handrailings the handrailings and plant your and plant your feet firmly on feet firmly on each step.each step.

How to WalkHow to Walk When walking on When walking on

an icy or snow-an icy or snow-covered walkway, covered walkway, take short steps take short steps and walk at a and walk at a slower pace so slower pace so you can react you can react quickly to a quickly to a change in traction.change in traction.

How to WalkHow to Walk Bending your knees Bending your knees

a little and taking a little and taking slower and shorter slower and shorter steps increases steps increases traction and can traction and can greatly reduce your greatly reduce your chances of falling.chances of falling.

It also helps to stop It also helps to stop occasionally to occasionally to break momentum.break momentum.

How to WalkHow to Walk Approach cleared streets Approach cleared streets

& sidewalks with caution. & sidewalks with caution. Look out for “black ice.” Look out for “black ice.”

Dew or water vapor can Dew or water vapor can freeze on cold surfaces, freeze on cold surfaces, forming an extra-thin, forming an extra-thin, nearly invisible layer of nearly invisible layer of ice that can look like a ice that can look like a wet spot on the wet spot on the pavement.pavement.

It can happen early in It can happen early in the morning or in areas the morning or in areas shaded from the sun.shaded from the sun.

How to WalkHow to Walk A heavy backpack A heavy backpack

or other load can or other load can challenge your challenge your sense of balance.sense of balance.

Try not to carry too Try not to carry too much—you need much—you need to leave your to leave your hands and arms hands and arms free to better free to better balance yourself.balance yourself.

How to WalkHow to Walk Be prepared to fall Be prepared to fall

and try to avoid and try to avoid using your arms to using your arms to break your fall.break your fall.

If you fall If you fall backward, make a backward, make a conscious effort to conscious effort to tuck your chin so tuck your chin so your head won’t hit your head won’t hit the ground with full the ground with full force.force.

How to WalkHow to Walk When entering a When entering a

building, remove building, remove as much snow and as much snow and water from your water from your boots as you can.boots as you can.

Notice that floors Notice that floors and stairs may be and stairs may be wet & slippery—wet & slippery—walk carefully.walk carefully.

How to WalkHow to Walk Use special care Use special care

when entering when entering and exiting and exiting vehicles. Use the vehicles. Use the vehicle for vehicle for support.support.

Where to WalkWhere to Walk Walk on sidewalks Walk on sidewalks

if possible.if possible. If sidewalks are If sidewalks are

covered with covered with snow & ice, one snow & ice, one option is to walk option is to walk along their grassy along their grassy edges for traction.edges for traction.

Where to WalkWhere to Walk If you must walk in If you must walk in

the street, walk the street, walk against the flow of against the flow of traffic, as close to traffic, as close to the curb as you can.the curb as you can.

Taking shortcuts Taking shortcuts through areas through areas where snow & ice where snow & ice removal is not removal is not feasible can be feasible can be hazardous.hazardous.

Avoid Areas with Falling Avoid Areas with Falling IceIce

As if there wasn’t As if there wasn’t enough danger of enough danger of falling on ice, you falling on ice, you must be aware of must be aware of ice that might fall ice that might fall on YOU!on YOU!

Avoid Areas with Falling Avoid Areas with Falling IceIce

Watch out for: Watch out for: Icicles hanging Icicles hanging from eaves, sheets from eaves, sheets of ice on sloping of ice on sloping roofs, and tree roofs, and tree branches covered branches covered with ice.with ice.

They can fall They can fall quickly and silently.quickly and silently.

Dealing with TrafficDealing with Traffic Before stepping off Before stepping off

the curb, make sure the curb, make sure all cars and trucks all cars and trucks have come to a have come to a complete stop.complete stop.

Due to poor road Due to poor road conditions, conditions, motorists may not motorists may not be able to stop or be able to stop or slow down for slow down for pedestrians.pedestrians.

Dealing with TrafficDealing with Traffic Be on the lookout Be on the lookout

for vehicles sliding for vehicles sliding in your direction.in your direction.

Vehicles should Vehicles should yield to snow yield to snow removal removal equipment in equipment in streets and streets and parking lots.parking lots.