Belfield Campus Ice / Frost Response Plan

This document has been prepared by UCD Estate Services in order to outline the operational procedures that are applied on the Belfield Campus during periods of frost and ice and does not take into consideration Snow events. This document will be subjected to regular review, taking account of campus infrastructural changes and organisational experience.

UCD is committed in so far as is practicable to providing a campus which is free from hazardous frost / ice and will take reasonable precautions to ensure same. However, weather conditions and the associated risks are dynamic in nature and are ever changing.

Consequently it is incumbent on all campus users to exercise due caution, care and attention whilst on campus during periods of inclement weather and UCD Estate Services encourages campus users to be proactive in addressing weather related hazards by notifying the Contact Centre Helpdesk on 01 7161111 (internal ext. 1131/ 1132) of weather related risks that they may encounter on the campus and also by utilising the salt which is made available in Yellow Salt bins for their use at the entrances to major buildings in order to complement the university’s frost / ice clearing efforts.

In addition, campus users should make themselves familiar with the map below showing the primary pedestrian routes which will be treated first during any inclement weather and in so far as is possible they should keep to these routes if they are concerned about ice and frost.

The initiation of the university’s ice / frost response plan is triggered by the issuing of a low Road Surface Temperature (RST) or snow warning from professional external subscription weather services. Once such a warning has been issued the following operational steps will be taken:

• Receipt of email from subscription weather services notifies both UCD Estate Services and an external contractor that a low road surface temperature (RST) ice risk warning has been issued for the UCD area and this automatically triggers the requirement for salt application on the UCD campus.

• The external contractor (usually during the next overnight period) will visit the campus with a vehicular salt spreader and will treat the main campus road network and in so far as is practicable the campus carparks with rock salt.

• In addition, personnel acting on behalf of UCD Estate Services in four separate teams will spread rock salt across the campus. Starting in five key locations (see campus map), prioritising primary pedestrian routes, including steps, ramps, building entrances, visible ice patches and bus stops throughout the campus. This work is initiated at approx. 7am and may continue until approx. 10am. Various mechanical devices are used in the course of this work.

• The above measures operate Seven days a week from November to end of March, On Sundays and Public holidays treatment is carried out as outlined above however priority will be given to student residences and potential high usage buildings such as the Church.

• Salt bins have been provided at a number of locations on the Belfield campus and the locations of these bins are communicated through Social media. These bins are unlocked and available for use by any member of the University Community or general public whilst on campus.