Campus safety in winter

  • 25 November 2021

Snow has been flying these past few weeks and we're expecting freezing rain, too. With more of our staff and students spending time on campus, what does Landscape Services do to keep our grounds safe through the winter?

There's essential work to be done each year to allow research, students, staff and visitors to move safely around our campuses. Here’s how we make that happen.

WHO WE ARE

Campus Landscape Services is divided into two groups:

Operators

  • Clear snow and ice from roads, sidewalks, parking lots, loading docks and morel
  • Drive the front end loaders, bobcats, sand trucks or graders
  • May work up to 20+ days in a row when conditions deteriorate!

Area staff

  • Clear doorways, outdoor stairwells, paraplegic ramps, narrow walks and more
  • These gatekeepers keep everyone safe and mobile

WHAT WE DO

How do we prioritize what areas are cleared?

Under City of Edmonton bylaws, we can’t make any noise that affects the surrounding neighbourhood too early in the morning, so we work from the core of campus outwards, concentrating on major roads and walkways.

What about freezing rain?

Freezing rain presents a more frequent challenge for us in recent years! We need to treat all of our hard surfaces as quickly as possible. Like with snow, we work on the major roads and walkways first and then secondary walkways—so try to forego the shortcuts.

It can take anywhere from 4 to 6+ hours to cover all of campus when treating surfaces after freezing rain.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

When the snow flies

  • BE AWARE
    Watch the weather conditions and give yourself extra time to get across campus
  • Wear winter footwear
    Take extra shoes with you or keep an extra pair on campus for when you safely arrive
  • Put your phone away
    That text may seem vital, but it won’t be if you slip and fall
  • Watch your step
    Use handrails and even consider your gait—always have at least one point of contact with the ground

If you see us working in a snowstorm

  • Give us a little space to work
  • Never assume we can see you

See snow where it shouldn’t be? Call the Maintenance Desk at 780-492-4833.