Category Archives: Risk and Safety Services

Sand sweeping underway

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It’s a dirty job, but someone has to do it. Cleaning up a winter’s worth of sand from the University of Lethbridge campus can be an onerous task, but it’s just part of a regular routine for the Grounds department.

About 100 yards of sand was spread across campus this past winter in order to keep campus walkways as safe as possible for pedestrians. Some weather events where crews were unable to clear the snow before it compacted or turned to ice, resulted in generous applications of sand, salt or ice melt products, leaving plenty of sand behind when the snow melted.

Workers try to save as much sand as possible to reuse the following year which helps the department save on costs to replenish its supply. However, the sand must be fairly clean – yes, clean dirt – otherwise it leads to dust, tracking or spreading of litter.

In order to get the sand in good, reusable condition, Grounds crews will first sweep the streets where the sand is cleanest. The sand is piled and stored at the bone yard until the weather warms up enough for it to be spread out and dried. After the sand is dry, workers hand pick out the litter, leaves and other debris, and the sand is piled back into the sand shed for use the following year.

Sand that has been piled onto grassy areas along roads and walkways is not suitable for reuse as it is usually mixed with a lot of litter and grass.  However, some of this sand can be used for back fill or it can be spread on campus dirt trails to minimize mud. This sand is swept up with smaller sweepers so it can be picked up by a bigger sweeper afterwards. This helps avoid build up over time and reduces the risk of sand clogging up irrigation heads and destroying healthy grass.

Caretaking Manger Judy Jaeger says she appreciates the effort by Grounds crews as it means less work for her staff to clean up the sand that gets tracked into campus buildings.

“They do an awesome job,” she says. “Cleaning up the sand inside building entrances takes away from other work we do to keep classrooms and public spaces clean and tidy, so my employees are especially glad to see the sand cleared away outside.”

For more information on Grounds or its operations call 329-2602 or email facility.servicedesk@uleth.ca.

Visit the Facilities website.

 

 

Brown goop on campus an eco-friendly de-icer

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People walking around campus may have noticed a brown liquid in areas where slipping hazards are great such as sloping sidewalks and stairs.

The U of L Grounds department traditionally uses a salt-based ice-melting agent, but is now testing out a more environmentally friendly product called “Fusion” from Eco Solutions.

Fusion is a 100 per cent organic and biodegradable anti-icing agent made from plant material. It will allow Grounds to reduce its salt use, resulting in less corrosion and pollution of the river. It can also be applied on grass and shrubs without the damage associated with salt spreading. While Fusion may not always result in complete melting of icy surfaces, those surfaces should be less slippery after treatment.

“Our goal is to provide a campus that is safe and operable while doing less harm to the infrastructure, the environment and the equipment we use to care for the campus,” says Phil Dyck, manager of Grounds.

Grounds is carefully evaluating the performance of this product and welcome any feedback. More information on this product and others like it can found here and here.

 

 

 

Register now for the 5th annual Steps for Life walk!

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Last year, there were 23 reported workplace fatalities in Alberta. Unfortunately, the University of Lethbridge experienced one such tragedy firsthand at one of its construction sites. As way of honouring those whose lives were lost and to help support loved ones left behind, the University of Lethbridge is once again participating in the annual Steps for Life – Walking for Victims of Workplace Tragedy event.

Staff of Risk and Safety Services and Wellness have been participating in this walk for the past four years and are putting out the challenge for the University to have a bigger presence and be a significant contributor in the success of the 2013 Steps for Life walk taking place on Saturday, May 4.

Over the last four years, the annual Steps for Life – Walking for Victims of Workplace Tragedy event has been held in Lethbridge at Henderson Lake. The 2012 walk was an amazing success exceeding the anticipated $25,000 goal, with 647 walkers raising more than $30,400. This year the goal has been set to $30,000 with the hopes that once again Lethbridge will shine even more and be the number one fundraiser across Canada for this extremely important charitable event.

This event is open to the University of Lethbridge campus community –students, faculty and staff. Each year a team plaque is awarded for the team that displays the most spirit during the walk.  Let’s be the team that shines and brings the most spirit to this event this year. Let’s get out there and show our support and help make the 2013 Steps for Life Walk the best one yet!

The event occurs in more than 30 communities across Canada as part of the North American Occupational Safety and Health (NAOSH) Week to help raise awareness about injury prevention and to provide assistance to families who have been seriously impacted by a workplace fatality, life-altering injury or occupational disease.

All proceeds generated from this event go directly to the Threads of Life, a registered Canadian charity dedicated to supporting families along their journey of healing who are living with the aftermath of a workplace tragedy.

Corporate sponsorship for this event is also invited and sponsors will be recognized on the banner displayed at the Lethbridge Walk.

For more information visit, www.stepsforlife.ca.

Registration contacts:

Anne Baxter L991A – Risk and Safety Services (403-329-7176)
Suzanne McIntosh SU020E –Wellness (403-332-5217)
Dan Berte AH128 –Risk and Safety Services (403-329-2190)

Event Details:

Date & Time of Walk: Saturday, May 4 at 10 a.m.
Location: Horseshoe Pit Picnic Area -Henderson Lake.
Registration Fee: $10 (walkers aged 14 and under walk free). Registration fee includes lunch and door prizes after the walk.