Editor’s fall brings call for ice safety

What started out as a normal work day last Tuesday ended up being quite terrifying and chaotic for several of our staff members at the Times office. 
While in pursuit of a hot news story, managing editor Alan Van Ormer slipped on the icy steps leading into the Blooming Prairie Police Department, which is connected to the city center. Just exactly what happened is unclear, but Van Ormer came stumbling back into our office dazed, confused and bleeding from the head. He wasn’t making a lot of sense and needless to say, it terrified many in our office to see him in this condition.
Van Ormer was transported by ambulance to the hospital where he spent the next two days with a severe concussion. He ended up with several stitches in the back of his head, but luckily, nothing was broken. He’s now recovering at home, but it may be weeks before he’s back to normal. 
Besides sharing this incident this week to update our readers on why Van Ormer’s work is missing from this week’s edition as well as possible future issues, I also want this to serve as a poignant reminder about the duty of care we all have this time of the year in preventing slipping on the ice or snow.
Accumulated ice and snow are dangerous. Property owners have a legal duty of care to keep their premises safe and hazard-free. This includes keeping walkways, driveways, parking lots and other common areas clear of ice and snow. Injuries from slipping on ice and snow can be quite serious, as we found out last week with our editor.
While I understand the frustration of Minnesota winters with the ever changing conditions, I encourage everyone to take a little extra time to make sure their property is free of ice and snow. This is especially a difficult task when temperatures are at or just below freezing.
On your property, be sure to shovel driveways, walkways and sidewalks. Salt high traffic areas if you think ice will form. You may even want to consider placing a sign to warn others of the hazard. 
Accidental injuries and even deaths from slipping on ice occur in frightening numbers each year. Literally millions of dollars in hospital costs and unnecessary suffering and recovery times are incurred. 
The bottom line is injuries from slipping on the ice are preventable. It just tasks a little due diligence on our part to keep areas safe for others. 
In the case of our editor, we’re just thankful things didn’t turn out much worse. We wish him a speedy recovery so that he can get back to doing what he does best and loves most—write stories and take photos. 
Let’s face it—winters can be tough, especially in the Midwest. But we all need to go in hot pursuit of not complicating matters by making things even tougher than they need to be.