Winter Gritting - Ice, Frost and Snow
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. Lucas Landscapes / Shorts True Grit can offer you this management system, ensuring you have taken appropriate steps to minimise the risk for your staff and visitors. Prevention is the key.
Below is a list of outdoor areas used by your staff and visitors most likely to be affected by ice and which can be gritted:-
- building entrances
- car parks
- pedestrian walkways
- fire exit points
The management system means temperatures are automatically monitored on your behalf using the Met Office. When freezing temperatures are forecast, the areas which are covered by the gritting agreement will be gritted, whether your arrangement is for an automatic response based on temperature or whether you have requested to be contacted first.
Gritting will minimise your risk of:-
- icy walkways
- icy building entrances
- icy car parks
- icy fire exits
Case Study - Ice not a problem for Prison
(Source http://www.hse.gov.uk/slips)
A prison in the North of England had successfully tackled more routine slip and trip hazards in the prison grounds, but still had a problem with icy conditions. In response and by making good use of the ‘County Highway Weather line’ a new procedure has been put in place that involves, during cold snaps:
- The duty manager telephoning the County Highway Weather line for recorded message on road situations.
- If overnight temperatures forecasted for 0 degrees or less, gritting carried out at 16:00 hours and again at 07:00 the following morning.
- The weather situation is monitored throughout the day.
- For sudden frosts during the night, the Orderly Officer will page the on-call Gritter to ensure the necessary areas are gritted prior to main staff arriving.
The areas gritted included car parks and pathways, both outside and inside the prison gates. This procedure has been successful and slip accidents have reduced since it was implemented.