Learn to walk on ice: Do the 'Eielson Shuffle'

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Richard Caudill
  • 354th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska --  As a toddler we stumbled, tumbled, and fell frequently.

As we grew we learned to walk with ease and it became second nature to us--just like breathing. Unfortunately, here in Alaska, an adversary has stepped up and challenged our ability to walk: a layer of frozen water has threatened to undo what we have worked years to perfect.

Here at Eielson, in the interior of Alaska, snow and ice are part of our daily life for almost seven months out of the year. With snow and ice being so much a part of our everyday life one would assume that we would be able to effectively maneuver from one facility to another without unexpectedly ending up on the cold and very hard snow/ice-covered ground.

The majority of mishaps that occur at Eielson while walking on ice are due to the actions of the person, not the ice. The ice has already been identified as a hazard by the individual; however, the key factor to avoid a mishap are the control measures an individual uses to prevent him/her from falling while walking on the ice.

Individuals need to increase their situational awareness and realize that they are no longer walking on a dry surface--walking on ice or a slippery surface is very dangerous. The majority of slips and falls on ice occur in parking lots--people coming to or leaving work or running errands.

Let's be honest, when most of us get out of our vehicles in the morning we are not focusing on the fact that we must cross significant distances of ice-covered surfaces; instead we are focusing on what awaits us in the office.

When leaving work, most of us are distracted by thoughts about what we have to do at home or downtown. Please pay more attention to your environment, and during the winter season always assume the surface you intend to walk/run on is slick.

Besides increased situational awareness and walking carefully, there are other ways to protect yourself while walking on ice.

Ice cleats are a very valuable countermeasure to protect you from the slip, trip, and fall. However, you must be careful on snow/ice-free concrete and tile surfaces while wearing ice cleats. Using footwear designed for winter conditions is another useful countermeasure.

Personnel from the safety office regularly observe individuals wearing summer boots or boots that make them look good; however, the soles of those boots are not designed to provide any type of traction on snow/ice. Yes, we need countermeasures to protect us from falling just like pilots need countermeasures to protect them from enemy weapon systems.

Slips and falls on ice can result in one or more fractured bones, bruises, and even concussions. More conscious efforts combined with one or more of the countermeasures described above when walking on ice can prevent a preventable mishap, and the associated pain, lost time and inconvenience associated with a significant injury.