Ice Maintenance and Equipment Operations 

Prerequisites: Participants should have completed a) Basic Arena Refrigeration or the Advanced Refrigeration Facility Operator course; b) and the Ice Making and Painting Technologies course; and c) have two years of practical artificial ice knowledge with some ice resurfacer operational experience or a Safe Ice Resurfacer Operator permit.

In this course, participants will learn skills to create exceptional ice, troubleshoot poor ice conditions, perform ice maintenance, and operate and maintain equipment while ensuring a safe physical setting.

This course is not designed to make a worker a completely competent ice resurfacer driver. It has been created to demonstrate industry best practices with regard to the operation and care of a vital and expensive piece of ice maintenance equipment. The ice resurfacer is a complicated piece of heavy equipment that requires a concise understanding of how it works, what adjustments must be maintained and what ongoing regular maintenance must be conducted by the operator to ensure it provides trouble-free operation. Ongoing workplace specific training must take place once the participant completes this training course.

The ORFA works closely with both Zamboni and Resurfice Corporation in providing the most up-to-date operational information to participants during this course.

Topics include:

• History of ice maintenance
• Operator safety
• The conditioner
• The blade
• Snow & ice collection systems
• Water systems
• The vehicle
• Fuel and power source safety
• Facility air quality
• The circle check
• Safely operating an ice resurfacer
• Other ice maintenance tools
• Effective ice maintenance techniques

Workplace-Specific Training: Please note this course does not provide participants with hands-on training in driving an ice resurfacer. A reminder is given to facility supervisory staff that to complete the educational process successful participants must return to work and be provided with specific workplace-specific training.

Personal Protective Equipment Required: Participants attending this course are required to supply and wear their own CSA-approved head protection, layered clothing, and appropriate footwear suitable for an ice arena environment. No exceptions.

This course is worth 28 professional development credits towards recertification of any ORFA professional designation.