Last winter, Cornell University had 73 reported winter slips and falls related to ice and snow, resulting in bruises, sprains or strains, broken bones and 317 lost work days. Nearly half of these occurred between 7 and 10 a.m.

This year, as winter sets in, the Department of Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S) reminds the campus community of the wealth of material on their website on preventing winter accidents and dealing with emergency situations.

Why does walking like a penguin instead of striding confidently on black ice prevent you from falling? A short video explains how the human body’s center of gravity works to your advantage when you take short, penguin-like steps instead of long strides.

How can you be safe as a pedestrian and how can you, as a driver, avoid creating dangerous situations for pedestrians? What are the limits to salt in working on icy roads and sidewalks? What are the signs of hypothermia, and how should you dress for mildly chilly weather in comparison to a deep freeze? What items, at a minimum, should you include in an emergency kit in your car?

EH&S also includes a link to all of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) winter infographics, and NOAA provides even more information on what to do before, during and after a winter storm.

New York Extension Disaster Education Network (NY EDEN), a collaborative educational network based at Cornell University and dedicated to educating New York residents about preventing, preparing for and recovering from emergencies and disasters that could affect their families and communities, also has an in-depth page on winter storms, as well as a wealth of preparedness information on other kinds of emergencies and natural disasters.