Walk safely on ice…like a penguin!

It seems every year here in the UK, we get caught out by icy weather, and this year is no exception.

Ice and snow, fog and floods often delay trains, block roads and generally mak things difficult.But delays and diversions are nothing compared to the personal pain and anguish inflicted by slips, trips and falls because of ice and snow.

Equally important, is how these impact on our overwhelmed National Health and Ambulance Services and subsequent strain on social services when these injuries happen to vulnerable people.

Learning from the experts is always a good idea, so when the Norwegians suggest that we should adopt a different approach to walking on ice it would seem to make sense and they in turn have looked to another level of expertise, the penguins.

You’ll see from the above diagram posted on the Facebook page Visit Northern Norway that by simply modifying your posture and centre of gravity, walking on ice can be much safer and hopefully make getting around in these conditions easier.

Broken bones, particularly hips, are massively expensive both financially and in lives, by copying our Antarctic friends walk, we may be able to help both ourselves and the hard-pressed health professionals.

Learning to be a First Aider is a valuable skill, not only for winter injuries, but it provides you with the confidence to deal with more serious conditions, such as cardiac arrests, choking, burns and bleeding. Although the current cold snap may not last, it’s worth remembering that “walking like penguin”, brings its own benefits in icy weather, and will hopefully prevent injury, but should the worst happen, it’s always good to know that there are people around you who are trained to assist until professional help arrives.

Mike Samuels
CPR First Aid Training