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Ice Safety
Your Life May Depend On It
Contributing Factors of Ice Strength
Do not judge ice safety by thickness alone.
Light wind speeds up ice formation.
Heavy winds slow down ice formation.
Sudden drops in temperature weaken ice.
Any water on the ice surface is a danger sign.
Snow fall may insulate a thin layer of ice and cause danger.
Slushy snow or water on the top of ice may hide cracks.
Wildlife may contribute to weakening of ice.
Any objects (logs, rocks, weeds) sticking out of the ice weaken it.
Warm weather makes ice unpredictable.
Blue Ice is the natural thickening of ice through a normal freezing
process. Blue ice is clear in texture and has the maximum bearing
capacity of all ice.
White Ice can occur naturally or produced by flooding. White ice /
flood ice is white in texture and is considered to have only 50% of the
load bearing capacity of natural blue ice.
Grey Ice, Crystallized Ice or Honeycomb Ice forms from thawing and
indicates the presence of water running thru the ice and should not be
trusted as a load bearing surface.
If “You” Fall Through Ice (Self Rescue Tips)
Yell to get attention of others.
Reach and grab onto the ice.
Kick hard, and push your stomach onto the ice.
Roll like a log once on the ice.
Do not get up and walk to the shore, keep rolling, spread you weight.
Hang onto the ice, and keep yelling if you can’t get out yourself.
IF “Someone Else” Falls Through Ice
Stay on the shore: don’t attempt a rescue; you could end up needing
rescue yourself.
Call 9-1-1 and ask for the Fire Department. Remember to give clear
directions to where you are and who, what and how many have gone
through the ice.
Yell out the above “Self Rescue Tips” to the person(s).
Watch and talk to the person, reassure them that help is on the way.
Wait for help. Do not go onto the ice.
When the Fire Department arrives, tell them what you saw.
Guidelines for Ice Thickness Safety
Load Minimum Thickness of Ice
1 person walking 5 cm (2 inches)
One person fishing or a group walking 8 cm (4 inches)
A Snowmobile 13 cm (5 inches)
Passenger car (2,000 kg) 20 cm (8 inches)
Light Truck 30 cm (12 inches)
Heavy Truck (7,500 kg) 35 cm (14 inches)
Ice is generally unpredictable and thickness or consistency should never be taken
for granted.
Enjoy your Ice Activities but play safe. Remember Safety is an
Attitude.
Keith R. Martin
Manager of Fire & Emergency Services
County of Newell
Rev. December 8, 2014