Preparing for snow and ice

The crisp temperatures and colorful fall leaves have officially given way to cold temperatures, snow and ice. As you work to keep both students and staff safe, the following are important reminders about winter weather preparedness:

Clearing sidewalks and parking lots

Whether or not it has already snowed in your area, you can plan now for snowy and icy parking lots and walkways by doing the following:

1. Establishing a process for clearing ice and snow. You should always have either school staff members or an outside company on call when there is snowfall. When there are people in the building during the snowfall, the snow removal activities should occur at regular intervals.
2. Acquiring bags of salt or sand. You should put salt by the doors of your buildings now so anyone has the tools needed to de-ice the sidewalks or parking lot at a moment’s notice. Sand can provide traction if it’s too cold for salt to work.
3. Educating maintenance staff about the areas to clear. This should include the roof. Clogged roof gutters can result in water or slush dripping down on the sidewalk below as well as damage to the roof structure.

When the snow starts falling:

• Always shovel, snow blow or plow before using salt or sand to treat your sidewalks and parking lot.
• Keep an inspection and maintenance log for parking lots and sidewalks, noting the date and time of each snow and ice removal, and who performed the task.
• Clear all snow within a “reasonable amount of time” after it has stopped snowing. You can define “reasonable” by whether there are any activities happening in your building (if there are, snow needs to be cleared right away) and by how much snow there is.
• Remove snow and slush the full width of your sidewalk, stairs and other pedestrian walkway surfaces.

Preparing your vehicles for winter

Any vehicles your school maintains—such as maintenance trucks and vans used for special events—need to be properly prepped for winter use. The first step is to ensure all the necessary items are stored in each vehicle, including:

• First-aid kit – This is a must, because drivers could become stranded and need care.
• Ice scraper – If there’s even a chance of snow or ice in your area, you should have ice scrapers in your vehicles.
• Cell phone charger – It’s important that drivers have a way to communicate with management and emergency services personnel, and cell phones can run out of battery power—particularly in cold weather.
• Battery booster cables – Almost everyone has experienced a dead battery at some point in their driving career, and battery booster cables have the potential to keep a driver from becoming stranded.
• Items to help if you are stranded – This should include a roadside emergency triangle reflector to warn oncoming cars of your presence, a reflective safety vest, water/non-perishable snack food, a flashlight and backup batteries.
• Portable shovel and a bag of sand – These tools can help you dig out a vehicle that has been buried by snow or slush from plows. The bag of sand can help provide traction.

Other preparation steps include:

• Installing snow tires on all vehicles.
• Replacing the windshield washer fluid with a product that can withstand freezing temperatures.
• Testing the vehicle’s battery, since cold weather can affect its power.
• Replacing wiper blades, if necessary.
• Keeping the gas tank at least half full to prevent freezing.

Check out these resources more information on vehicle safety.