DENVER — With snow falling almost daily, most are finding the going tough, when it comes to walking as well as driving. The icy conditions on sidewalks can lead to slips and falls,  in areas where people fail to clean their walks.

For Ken Figiler—who gets around with the use of a four-wheeled walker—a clean walk is what he looks for or he simply risks getting hit by a vehicle by rolling in the street.

“I get so frustrated by a walk with ice and snow,” said Figiler. “People just don’t realize what shoveling their way can mean to folks like myself.”

At Swedish Hospital, this is the time of year when ice-falls send folks to the ER.

“We see many hip injuries for sure from people falling and failing to use good body mechanics when shoveling,” says trauma nurse supervisor Tracey Holmberg.  “Our numbers spike a bit when we get snow followed by super cold temps, which means we also see wrist and ankle injuries from people slipping and falling.”

Avoid injuries while shoveling snow

• Lift half shovelfuls of snow
• Use your legs
• If snow is too much for you, ask for help — Give a kid on the block some cash to do the job

If you fall and say, hit your head, always go to the doctor just to err on the side of caution.

And if you use a snow blower, never ever ever put your hand or a stick into the blade when the machine is running!

It’s seems like common sense but they’re real issues that happen that emergency room personnel treat across metro Denver every year.