Safety on ice in winter

As soon as winter comes, most children, and some adults are eagerly awaited when the ice will freeze on the ponds. This, of course, is a good opportunity to skate, do winter fishing, but do not forget about the safety on the ice during this period. We will get acquainted with the main rules in our article.

Formation of ice

With the onset of frosty weather, one should not expect instantaneous coverage of reservoirs with ice. This process is lengthy and depends on many factors. It begins, as a rule, from November and continues until the New Year. Everything depends on weather conditions, which are different every year.

At low temperatures, ice forms at night, but under the rays of the sun it starts to become porous in the daytime from the water that seeps through it. At the same thickness can be already decent, but reliable it can not be called, so it is important to comply with safety measures on the ice.

Usually, freezing of water bodies occurs unequally throughout the area, first of all freezing begins in shallow water, along the banks, and then the ice cramps the middle. In different reservoirs, this process proceeds at different rates, for example, ice forms more slowly on the rivers, since this process is hampered by flow. Even on one pond in different parts of it, ice may be of unequal thickness.

Preserving life on ice

Almost every year, there are situations when the most impatient lovers of winter fishing or ice skating are in a dangerous situation, facing the ice water. And all because the ice thickness is not taken into account.

Such amateurs first need to study the safety measures on the ice in the winter, and only then go to the pond. The most important rule: I'm not sure about the strength of ice - do not step on it. Sometimes a person begins to understand his mistake, having already appeared on thin ice, in this case it is necessary to try to return carefully back to his tracks.

It is difficult to assess the strength of ice snow, which lies on top. Moving, you can not see that the cracks have gone, but you can not hear the crunching, so when it appears, stop moving and go back.

Safe ice

Do not help any safety technology on ice, if it has insufficient thickness. The ice cover must withstand the load that will act on it.

1. To one person safely crossed a frozen pond, the thickness of the ice along the route should be at least 7 centimeters.
2. You can arrange an ice rink only if the layer thickness is about 12 centimeters.
3. The group can be transported only on ice with a thickness of 15 centimeters.
4. And the movement of cars will be safe with a thickness of at least 30 centimeters.

Even if you are sure that the pond is well frozen, the safety measures on the ice in winter will not be superfluous.

Insidious Ice

Experts even on the appearance of ice can determine its reliability. More dangerous, and, therefore, thin is the ice yellowish or matte-white color. Most often it has a porous structure, so it can not be considered reliable.

It is necessary to know: if the temperature does not drop below zero degrees for several days, the strength decreases by 25%. The thinnest ice is even in frosty weather near the thickets of reeds, shrubs or trees that grow on the banks.

Special care must be taken near the ice-holes - they can become completely invisible if they are slightly priporoshit with snow.

How to make sure of the reliability of ice

Find out if the ice is solid or not, sometimes only by stepping on it. If after a few steps small radial cracks are visible and a slight crunch is heard, then you can walk in principle on it, but observe the safety of behavior on ice.

Check the strength of the ice, jumping over it or stomping his feet, not at all prudently. If, after the inspection, water appeared on top of the ice, in this place it is better not to cross. Security on thin ice should be above all. You can never predict where you can fall into the icy water.

It is better to go back to avoid accident, carefully stepping on your own tracks and not lifting your legs high. In the case of the appearance of a strong cod, it is better to move crawling.

Code of Conduct on Ice

In winter, it is necessary to observe safety on ice. To do this, you must follow the following rules:

1. You can not go to the ice in the night, in a strong fog, snow or rain.
2. If you need to go to the other side, it's better to use the ice crossings.
3. It is impossible to check the strength of ice by striking it with a foot, it is better to use a stick for this. In the case of even a small amount of water, it can already be said that the ice is thin and not suitable for skiing or walking around it.
4. If you urgently need to cross the ice to the other shore, it is better to use the already laid trails, and, if there are none, think over the route more carefully.
5. In the case of group movement, it is better to go, keeping at least 5 meters apart from each other.
6. It is most convenient to cross the reservoir on skis, only fasteners do not fasten, so that at the slightest risk you can quickly reset them.
7. If there is a burden behind your back, it is better to place it on one shoulder, so that in case of danger, you can easily get rid of it.
8. Always, going to a frozen pond, it is necessary to take a strong rope with a loop and load, so that if necessary, you can throw a failed friend.
9. Often, the safety in the winter on the ice of persons in alcoholic intoxication is not observed. In such a state, it is impossible to adequately respond to the danger, and there and just before the tragedy is a stone's throw away.

Sometimes the desire to skate on the newly formed ice, play hockey more than a sense of danger, so there are unforeseen situations. Safety on the ice is especially important for children who are looking forward to the winter.

The rules of behavior on ice for children

Most of the children are looking forward to the winter with great anticipation, in order to get a good ride on sledges, ice skating, playing hockey, so very often kids neglect all safety rules. Parents have a great responsibility for the health and preservation of the child's life, so they are obliged to tell the children about the safety on the ice in the winter.

1. You can not let the children go alone to the frozen ponds.
2. Be sure to make sure that the ice has a thickness of at least 7 centimeters.
3. If collective games are supposed to be on ice, the thickness of the ice cover should be about 12 centimeters.
4. Children should be explained that, moving on ice of doubtful thickness, it is necessary to go in single file and not closer than 5 meters from each other.
5. You can not step on the ice, if it is covered with snow, you can easily stumble upon an ice hole.
6. Do not allow children to walk on water with the onset of spring heat. Ice quickly begins to melt, especially along the coast, around bushes and cane.
7. You can not jump on a detached ice floe, it has an unpleasant property easily turn over, so in a few minutes you can be in the water.
8. If, nevertheless, the ice did not hold and cracked, and the child was in the water, then he must know how to act in such a situation.
9. If the child was not alone, but with the company of friends, then in case of danger someone should quickly go for help, and the rest take all the measures to save their friend, only try not to make him a company.

Safety on the water, on ice is studied in schools at the lessons of the OBZH, before each vacation, class leaders necessarily conduct appropriate training.

First aid on ice

Everyone can get into ice water in winter, so you need to know how to help your friend. Here are the main recommendations:

• Moving to the side of the failed is necessary only for crawling.
• It is better not to stretch out your hand to a comrade, but a scarf, stick or other improvised means to yourself not to be near him.
• After the friend was hooked on the object stretched to him, it is necessary to pull it gently on the ice, but do not make any sudden movements.
• After successful recovery, it is necessary to provide assistance, which consists in warming the victim and changing his clothes to dry clothes.

It is very important that the comrades do not get confused in this situation and instead of helping to run up in different directions, they help their friend.

What to do if you fell through the ice

Often there are situations when a person goes alone to a frozen pond and a tragedy happens: under the fallen snow, the polynya is not noticed, and now the icy water opens its arms. What to do in this case? Here is the algorithm of actions:

1. Most importantly, observe self-control and do not panic, clinging to the edge of the ice. It will not help, but will only exhaust the forces.
2. From the first second you must try to get to the surface of the ice, taking the horizontal position.
3. If the current draws under the ice, you need to rest up with all your might to the edge and loudly call for help.
4. When moving, the backpack should be on one shoulder, if it falls under the ice it can be easily dropped and released hands for rescue.
5. If you go alone on a pond in the winter, you need to have "life races" that you can make with your own hands. For this, the nails are wrapped in an insulating one, making a kind of handle, and passing the cord so as not to lose. At the moment of danger with their help, you can cling to the ice like claws and thus save your life.

Safety on the ice should always be in the first place, under no circumstances should one lose vigilance.

Have got out on the bank: what's next?

The most important thing after liberation from ice captivity is to warm up more quickly, therefore it is necessary to get to a warm room as soon as possible. If you are far from home, you can take advantage of the hospitality of the residents of the neighboring village. In the case of finding it very far from settlements, you should always have in your backpack a set of dry clothes that can save you in such a situation.

At the second stage, it is important to warm yourself from the inside, and in this case, without a hot drink can not do, so you will have to go home as soon as possible, preferably running.

Whatever the weather on a winter day, do not take risks and go to the pond in solitude. It is especially dangerous to do this with the onset of the first spring days, when the ice begins to melt, becomes loose and fragile.

Behavior on water in the autumn-winter period

To prevent accidents on water bodies in winter and late autumn, certain rules of conduct must be observed. They are simple enough, but they can save human life:

1. Do not rush with the advent of the first ice cover to go to the pond.
2. Ice becomes reliable only with the arrival of stable low temperatures.
3. It is dangerous enough to descend on ice in unfamiliar places, especially in thaw.
4. It is better not to cross the pond in places with a large layer of snow, under it the thickness of the ice is always less than in an open area.
5. Do not risk your life, going to the ice at night, and even in solitude.
6. Play sports winter games better on specially equipped ice rinks to be sure of the reliability of the ice.
7. It is dangerous to use ice during the spring floods for the crossing.

Compliance with these simple rules can save lives.

Recommendations for fans of winter fishing

Quite often you can see fishermen who sit on ice with a fishing rod, and around the thawed patches and polynyas, especially in early spring and during thaws. The desire to catch a good fish makes you despise dangers, but in vain. There are many cases when rescuers had to release grief-fishermen from ice captivity. And in order that this does not happen, all it takes is to observe some rules:

• For winter fishing you need to choose a familiar pond and those places where the depth does not exceed the height of a person.
• Be able to recognize dangerous and safe ice.
• Take care when going down from the shore to the ice, in these places it may be weak.
• Do not make a few ice holes next door.
• It is also not advisable to land a large group on a small section of ice.
• If during the penetration of the hole from it begins to beat the fountain with water, this means that the place is dangerous and not suitable for safe fishing.
• With itself it is necessary to have sharp objects which could be used for rescue in case of tragedy.

Only by observing these simple rules can you be sure that winter fishing will end safely.

Winter is good! There is an opportunity to do winter sports, plenty to ride on sleds and skates, but do not neglect the safety rules, especially on frozen ponds. And it is important that not only was the safety of children on the ice secured, but adults themselves did not forget about caution.