SK DOCTORS OF OPTOMETRY
Occupational Vision Care Program
Healthy Eyes.
Doctor Delivered.™
www.optometrists.sk.ca
More than one hundred
Saskatchewan companies
participate in the Occupational
Vision Care program, protecting
hundred
companies
Occupational
protecting
the eyes of thousands of
of
employees. Take responsibility for
for
your employees’employee’s eye safety by
by
tailoring the program to meet your
company’s safety eyewear needs.
your
LET US HELP YOU KEEP YOUR
EMPLOYEES SAFE.
Saskatchewan Association
of Optometrists
306.652.2069
ovc@saosk.ca
saoovc@optometrists.sk.ca
www.optometrists.sk.ca
pressure ridges, which result from fluc-tuating
water levels and weather condi-tions.
The ice loses its uniformity, edges of
ice sheets are formed between grounded
and floating ice, creating a safety hazard. In
these cases, it is best to be prepared in ad-vance
by knowing these risks and planning
for the need to possibly change the route in
a safe manner. Following preexisting pro-cedures
like the Saskatchewan Ministry of
Highways and Infrastructure Winter Roads
Handbook also helps to mitigate these and
other hazards.
Navigating across an ice road is challeng-ing,
as well. The weight of the vehicle (even
a small pick-up truck) creates a pressure
wave on the ice in front and below the ve-hicle.
The heavier the vehicle and the fast-er
it is driven, the larger the pressure wave
may be. This can be a problem when ap-proaching
shallow areas at certain angles
(i.e., near shore) or other vehicles, as the
pressure wave may cause cracks to form. To
maintain control, a driver needs to proceed
slowly enough to be able to stop, turn and
navigate effectively. Having enough knowl-edge,
equipment and preparedness can
make a significant difference in managing
complications if they happen. To date, not
To maintain
control, a
driver needs
to proceed
slowly enough
to be able
to stop, turn
and navigate
effectively.
Watch SRC’s video about the ice
road at: youtu.be/P8WbFlLIBpc
a single safety incident has occurred on the
ice road SRC builds and maintains to ac-cess
the Gunnar Mine and Mill site.
When construction-based projects are
in development in cold climates, such as
in northern regions of Canada, ice roads
may provide a feasible and economic way
to transport bulk materials to remote lo-cations.
In SRC’s experience, safety, lo-cal
traditional knowledge, regulations and
procedures, and continuous road mainte-nance
are the leading factors in successful-ly
building, maintaining and navigating an
ice road.
SASKATCHEWAN RESEARCH COUNCIL
thinkbigmagazine.ca | Quarter 4 2017 | Think BIG 55