UiO did not de-ice around the Faculty of Law – now they’re being fined

It’s practically a rite of passage to slip and fall during winter in Oslo. There’s almost nothing more embarrassing than eating it in front of a crowd of students on your way to class. When you finally get up and brush the snow off, it’s easy to get angry – someone hasn’t done their job. In this case, that would be the University of Oslo (UiO).

«We take this very seriously»

At the end of November, the area around the Faculty of Law was icier than acceptable. That judgement was laid down in a fine from Oslo authorities. The slippery streets led to consequences for the university.

«Obviously we take this very seriously,» Said Parks Manager Jorun Hovind in an email to Universitas.

Hovind has responsibility for de-icing the park areas around the university. Before the winter break, someone got sloppy with the task of tossing salt or pebbles on the walkways. UiO violated the by-laws, where it says:

«Inside Ring 1, the landowner is obligated to de-ice their property, or otherwise ensure that the sidewalk on or along their property is not slippery. When using chemicals to melt the snow or ice, the sidewalks must be swept as soon as possible.»

The violation was described as «Ice on the sidewalks. No salt or pebbles strewn.» A photo accompanied the description.

Nevertheless, UiO got away with a small slap on the wrist: a 1,000 NOK fine.

No serious injuries

«This is a case of our sub-contractor not doing their job. It’s regrettable,» said Hovind, and said the parks service would be asking for a refund from the contractor.

«We have good routines in place for this, and have told the sub-contractor that they need to follow them.»

Icy streets can be serious, and falling in front of your fellow law students could be painful to the body and the ego. Fortunately, no injuries were reported as a result of the oversight, says Jorun Hovind.