When the snow is blowing and surfaces are icy, Brock staff are hard at work to keep the campus as safe as possible.

During the recent snowstorms, collective efforts provided safe access to campus and helped in preventing slips, trips and falls, which are the most frequently reported causes of incidents on campus.

More than a dozen Facilities Management employees divided between two crews plowed snow from parking lots and roads, and applied salt and ice melt to add traction to slippery surfaces. Mechanics supported the grounds crews by maintaining snow removal equipment, and Campus Security Services monitored conditions late into the night and early mornings.

During significant weather events, the Facilities Management team “works around the clock,” said Grounds Services Manager John Dick.

“We schedule crews to come in at midnight when there aren’t many cars on campus and most parking lots are empty,” he said. “We can remove snow more quickly and easily without having to navigate around parked cars or watch out for groups of pedestrians.”

Facilitates Management outsources some snow removal efforts for parts of campus, such as East Academic, Hamilton Campus and the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts.

Mechanics like Stephen Graves support Facilities Management’s grounds services crews by maintaining and repairing snow removal equipment. Graves is pictured repairing a plow truck.

A snow and ice removal priority map on the Facilities Management website illustrates the locations on campus that are maintained, and which areas receive attention first.

In addition to roads, sidewalks and parking lots, there are many other areas on campus that require snow removal but are inaccessible to large drivable equipment, such as doorways and stairwells. Dick said there is a lot of difficult handwork that needs to be done with shovels and snowblowers.

“Think about how much shovelling we all did on our own driveways during the snowstorms,” he said. “Now, imagine shovelling for eight hours or more, several days in a row. It’s a tough job.”

Brock’s custodial team also plays an important role in preventing slips, trips and falls by frequently vacuuming and deep cleaning interior entrances to buildings. More than 160 floor mats are located at high-traffic entrances across campus to help absorb water and collect debris.

Despite the collective efforts from Brock employees to keep campus safe, it’s still important that students, faculty, staff and visitors to campus be mindful of the weather conditions and take precautions against winter hazards.

Occupational Health and Safety Specialist Dan Pozzobon said one of the most prevalent causes of incidents in the winter is people taking shortcuts through unmaintained areas or piles of snow instead of staying on cleared pathways.

Pozzobon recommends sticking to designated areas, wearing good quality footwear that offers warmth, thick tread and good traction, and cautions people to avoid rushing.

“Slow down and place each step carefully,” he said. “Check the weather forecast and plan for extra time to get to campus. Incidents happen when we’re not paying close enough attention to our surroundings and we’re not taking the time needed to navigate possible slippery surfaces.”

Faculty, staff and students are encouraged to report unsafe conditions on outdoor pedestrian surfaces to the Facilities Management Customer Service One Call Hotline at 905-688-5550 x3717, Monday to Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Outside of these hours, or if the University is closed, urgent slip and trip circumstances can be reported to Campus Security Services at 905-688-5550 x3200.

If an incident, injury, near miss or health and safety hazard is observed, report it to a person of authority such as an area supervisor or Brock employee. Circumstances should be reported through an injury/incident report.

Completed reports and questions can be directed to besafe@brocku.ca