You can also find information on the DfI Roads winter service information leaflet. Advice when driving in icy or snowy conditions Salt can stop ice forming and cause existing ice or snow to melt. It is most effective when it is ground down, but this will take far longer on pedestrian areas than on roads. In this blog post, we’ll be getting down to the ‘nitty gritty’ of keeping your business premises safe this year, and explain the correct way to grit your paths or road using the right equipment from our Winter Products range. What is grit, and how does it work? Gritting should be carried out when frost, ice or snow is forecast or when walkways are likely to be damp or wet and the floor temperatures are at, or below freezing. The best times are early in evening before the frost settles and/or early in the morning before employees arrive. Salt doesn't work instantly; it needs sufficient time to dissolve into the moisture on the floor.

When you are in the grip of winter and temperatures plummet, knowing the correct wa y to grit a path or road can be a life saver. If a canopy is not a possibility, consider installing large, absorbent mats or even changing the entrance flooring to one which is non-slip. UK Roads Liaison Group – 'Well-maintained Highways: Code of Practice for Highways Maintenance and Management (2009)'Most of the salt is mined in Cheshire. The main supplier is Salt Union, which can produce 6,000 tonnes per day. Cleveland Potash, in Middlesbrough, produces salt as a by-product of its main operations and usually produces about 3,200 tonnes per day. This year about one in 10 councils have arranged contracts with salt suppliers abroad, but this approach would not be a practical solution for all councils. The salted network in Northern Ireland is fairly extensive. You can find details of all salting routes at this link: To reduce the risk of slips on ice, frost or snow, you need to assess the risk and put in a system to manage it. Councils in the UK are responsible for about 225,000 miles of road. It would cost hundreds of millions of extra pounds to grit all roads. Also, many roads are simply too narrow or too steep for gritting lorry to navigate. Instead, councils try to find other solutions like supplying local grit bins for residents, liaising with parish councils and community groups to grit more residential or remote areas and working with farmers to clear rural areas. The Department for Transport carries out regular audits of local authorities to monitor salt levels.

Given the scale of financial and other resources involved in delivering the Winter Service it is not reasonable either to – provide the service on all parts of the network; ensure running surfaces are kept free of ice or snow at all times, even on the treated parts of the network.No. The grit doesn't directly melt snow as it firstly has to mix with the snow to form a saline solution and lower the melting point. If snow is predicted, grit is spread in advance so when the first snow falls it can start to mix with grit to create a saline solution, which can reduce the build up (accumulation) of snow and prevent the formation of ice. There are also smart signs on the market, available to buy at low cost, which display warning messages at 50 and below. Over 2 million tonnes of grit is spread onto the UK roads each year. The majority is spread onto motorways, trunk roads and main roads. Less than a third of other roads are treated.

Discourage people from taking shortcuts over grass or dirt which are likely to become slippery when wet. Consider converting existing shortcuts into proper paths. Put in place a procedure for removing leaves at regular intervals; you might even consider removing the offending bushes or trees altogether. Rain water Grit works by lowering the temperature at which water freezes. It relies on the action of vehicle tyres to be spread over the road, so requires traffic to be effective. As we’ve already mentioned, if you own or occupy private land, you are responsible for ensuring that it can be safely accessed by staff and visitors.In 2012 temperatures up to December were relatively mild and gritting was mainly limited to upland areas. The severe and early cold during November 2010 saw councils use as much salt as they would do in an average winter – roughly 300,000 tonnes. And throughout all of the 2011 winter, 1.2 million tonnes were used. It is also recommended to re-grit the surface in the evening, not only in advance of peak traffic flows as staff and visitors leave for the day, but also to prevent the ice from re-freezing as evening temperatures fall. When grit is walked or driven over, the salt grinds down and becomes a saline solution. This ice and salty mixture provides underfoot friction, before disappearing down any nearby drains. This depends on a variety of factors. When we know with certainty from the weather forecast that the roads will require gritting, where possible we carry out the gritting treatment in the evening and/or in the morning. Gritting at this time ensures the best performance of the grit. Spreading grit at these times also means the roads are treated in advance of peak traffic flows, before the times where frost and ice will form, and when there will be enough traffic on the roads to help the grit mix with the moisture to form a saline solution. Grit generously and evenly. Spread the salt generously and evenly over areas that have a high level of footfall, or busy roads using a Salt Spreader.

The grit we use on the roads and pedestrian areas contains Safecote. Safecote is more than 90% pure Sodium Chloride (salt) with the remaining insolubles consisting mainly of Keuper Marl which helps to protect the salt quality. Marl also helps improve friction when salt is used as a highway de-icer. If warning cones are used, remember to remove them once the hazard has passed or they will eventually be ignored. Identify the outdoor areas used by pedestrians most likely to be affected by ice, for example: - building entrances, car parks, pedestrian walkways, shortcuts, sloped areas and areas constantly in the shade or wet.When work requires you to travel in these conditions, slippery snow and ice can pose a threat to the safety of your staff and visitors alike, so it’s important that you take precautions to minimise the risk. Under the Occupiers Liability Act 1957 (amended in 1984), owners or occupiers of private land are legally required to ensure safe access for staff and visitors, which extends to clearing ice and snow. There is no law against people clearing pavements or public spaces. Ministers have repeatedly welcomed "public-spiritedness" and said "common sense" and "benefit of the doubt" should always prevail when considering litigation. A court would have to deem someone as having been "wholly incompetent or irresponsible" for another to successfully sue them for injury. Road surface temperature and whether the road is wet or dry determines what grit treatment is needed - not the air temperature. Even on cold days the roads may have retained enough heat for treatments not to be necessary. Placing grit on top of snow which has already fallen has limited benefits. Ideally, snow should be cleared before grit is applied to the road or pedestrian area. When is the best time to spread the grit?