Friday, January 5, 2018

Take steps to stay warm during the extreme cold

Call it a cold open: Environment Canada has issued an extreme cold warning for Kitchener-Waterloo, with forecasted daytime lows of -21 degrees Celsius on Friday and significant wind chills that will make it feel like -36 degrees Celsius, dipping to -41 degrees Celsius overnight.

Brisk, you might say. And in case you were wondering, the University is open today.

When Old Man Winter comes calling, the University reminds students, faculty and staff to take steps to protect themselves against the cold, doing so in this instance with messaging sent out earlier this morning. To recap:

Tips to stay safe

Severe cold temperatures increase the risk of hypothermia and frostbite. Exposed skin can freeze in minutes. Follow these tips from the University of Waterloo Health Services Centre to help you stay warm and safe:

Limit time spent outdoors

• Move as quickly as possible
• Take public transit

Dress appropriately for the conditions

• Dress warmly and in layers
• Wear warm and waterproof footwear with proper tread
• Stay dry

Exposed skin (ears, nose, fingers and toes) lose heat the fastest

• Cover as much exposed skin as possible
• Wear mitts or gloves

We lose a large portion of body heat from our heads

• Wear something on your head, such as a hat or toque
• Protect your exposed face with a scarf

Find out more about cold weather safety on the Region of Waterloo Public Health website. The Region also has a list of warming centres that are available if you need to warm up.

Environment Canada gives Canadians as much advance notice as possible about potentially hazardous weather. Updates on weather for our region from Environment Canada can be found in a dedicated Twitter feed.

The University monitors the weather and will post relevant updates to its weather statement page, the homepage, at @uwaterloo on Twitter and other communications channels as needed. Read the Daily Bulletin's storm closing reminder and weather closing guidelines for more information.

Stay warm!

Benefit changes go into effect for 2018

The Pension & Benefits Committee has reviewed the maxima corresponding with retiree life, extended health, and dental benefit provisions and approved the following changes effective January 1, 2018:

In addition, in keeping with the 2 year lag in the dental fee guide used to calculate eligible dental expenses, the 2016 guide will be used to determine eligible expenses commencing January 1, 2018.

This means that the amount available for reimbursement has increased to the new maxima as outlined above. For example, the coverage for paramedical practitioners (e.g. physiotherapy) has an annual reimbursement maximum of $701, instead of $671 per year.

Eligible paramedical and prescription drug expenses are shared between the University and employees - 80 percent reimbursement is provided until the out-of-pocket cap is reached and then 100 percent reimbursement applies as outlined in the following table:

*Subject to the annual maxima and dispensing fee maxima; note that expenses for out of country, ambulance, dental and private duty nursing do not apply to the out-of-pocket cap nor do any pharmacist fees charged over the prescription drug dispensing fee cap.

Showcase your research in an NSERC video contest

The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) is running a contest for students to submit a short video showcasing research in the natural sciences or engineering fields. Students can enter the Science, Action! video contest on their own or as a team for a chance to win up to $3,500.

In addition to a cash prize, the top 15 videos will be featured in museum exhibits, shown at public science events, and as part of the Science Odyssey and Science Literacy Week national celebrations.

The contest will be open until January 19. Be sure to review NSERC’s website for full contest details and rules before entering.