Rink

Can you give suggestions on how to deal with blood on the ice? I had always heard that a bleach/water solution is what is needed but it seems that management here is content to scrape the blood up with an ice scraper or use a skate blade. Or to just simply use the ice resurfacer to get it up. How do we clean up after using these items? We recommend a 10% bleach solution. Have the solution in a hand spray bottle and also in a weed sprayer. The solution should be sprayed on the scrapers and shovels after being used for that purpose. Also if the blood was picked up by the ice resurfacer using the weed sprayer, clean the conditioner and snow tank with the same solution. These solutions will not affect the ice if used properly. First aid supply companies sell a small blood spill kit for around $10 that contains gloves and solution for this, and we recommend that you have one of these for the operators to use also. Having rubber gloves and this solution available in sprayers will go a long way to protect the employees and the patrons from blood- borne illness. Facilities should also ask the fire department for some training and suggestions in this area. I'm looking for some help/information on the leveling of a sand-based rink floor. Our suggested method is using a laser level. Set it up on the side of the rink and then using a two-foot square piece of plywood under the staff with the laser sensor on it. Using a rake and possibly needing to add or remove sand, loosely rake the floor as close to level as you can. Most cases you are adding sand because the old sand will settle. If you need sand, use only WASHED CLEAN type sand. You will also want to put down plywood under the wheelbarrow when moving sand onto the floor. After you have it leveled, then roll the sand with a sod roller. Yes, the sod roller will make the sand flat and smooth so you will not need to build up the ice just to make it level. It should only take about an hour to roll it, and it is worth the time to get it flat. You can rent the laser level and sod roller at any equipment rental store. What should the temperature of the final ice-making water be for the ice resurfacer (Zamboni/ Olympia)? The water should be 140 to 160 degrees Fahrenheit. The main reason we use hot water is the fact that it has less air in it than cold water. Hot water will make a clearer and harder ice surface. You will need to drain the tank completely every 3-4 ice makes so that you are not putting hot water on top of cold water. You should use a thermometer and check it every week. Sometimes the hot water tank settings are not accurate. Should the wash water for ice resurfacers be cold? Yes, that is what both Zamboni and Olympia recommend. Also it helps to make the slush better. If you were to use hot water to start with, it will be cold in two laps so why pay to heat it? ★ ask dave 58 R INK MAGAZ INE MAy/June 2007 ■ You have rink questions. Dave has rink answers. Send your questions to AskDave@rinkmagazine.com. First aid supply companies sell small blood spill kits for around $10 that are convenient to have on hand at your rink. Leveling a sand floor is not an easy task, but well worth the effort to achieve great ice. RINK FILE PHOTO

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