The following is a summary of general good practice and advice for gritting/salting and hazard management when it is icy or snowy. An individual risk assessment for you as an employer may still be required but this should help you do this much more easily.
If in doubt or if you need contact the office on 01793 852951; use the contact forms to the right or at the bottom of the page; email info@safewell.co.uk or for Retained Health and Safety Customers of Safewell just call your dedicated adviser.
Legal Position on Gritting/Salting
Employers have a duty of care to their employees and customers that might be at risk from hazards and risks related to the employer’s activities. In the case of ice and snow both employees and 3rd parties (i.e. customers) may need to cross from the public highway onto the Employer’s property where there might be snow, ice or both. A failure to identify this as a risk may leave the employer exposed and employees or 3rd parties at risk of slipping.
We get asked what the liability is if someone slips even if griting/salting has taken place and if it is better to not grit/salt i.e. not acknowledging that it is a risk.
There is no case law we aware of where this has been proven to be a good strategy and our advice would always be – it’s a potential risk and therefore needs managing in a way that is reasonable and sustainable for the employer and targets where employees and 3rd parties will be at risk. In doing this there may be an area you can’t practically treat but if you have worked from a risk assessment and arrived at a basis for gritting/salting areas where employees are likely to walk and the routes customers take to your premises, then you will be in a strong position.
Main Hazard and Accident Outcome
Slip during routine work tasks i.e. accessing a yard to take the rubbish out
Customers slip on the outside floor at client premises i.e. the car park, path to the entrance or reception
Customers slip on public areas enroute to client’s premises
In all instances, the accident is likely to be a fall on concrete or a very hard surface
Injuries range from twisted ankles, severe bruising, groin strain, fractures to pelvis and wrists, sometimes head injuries
Top Tips on How to Manage the Risks
Consider this hazard in your risk assessments, document your finding and plan of action. Some considerations that may help you are below; REMEMBER what you do has to match your risk not someone else’s.
Gritting and Salting General
Gritting/salting is a good idea.
Think about where employees and 3rd parties actually walk
Identify what is your property and what is public i.e. pavement looked after by local authority
Areas that Might be good to grit/salt:
Entrance porches to shops
Area outside reception
A clear walkway from the car park to reception
The main walked routes in a car park
Delivery yard areas
Back yards to shops that lead to the rear fire exit or bins
External fire exit route
Fire exit routes across roofs
Areas in constant shade, so stay Icey for longer
Slopes and gradients where vehicles and pedestrians move
You don’t need to grit/salt the public highway
Car Parks
Grit/salting a large car park can be a challenge, in your risk assessment you may want to consider:
if the car park is smooth (may get more slippery)
rough (better grip)
if there are organised vehicle and pedestrian routes it is easy to know where to grit/salt
if there are no marked parking or walkways you need to decide where to grit/salt and use signage to make it very clear the routes to take. These should be at the car park entrance and periodically positioned for clarity
you may need to clear snow first then grit/salt
choose if you need to cone off higher risk areas or areas of the car park that are further away from the entrance that are not required.
timing of grit/salt to avoid persons mixing with vehicles on icy/frosty ground
ensure lighting in the car park is adequate all year round
the task shouldn’t take too long – having someone out gritting/salting for too long may be counterproductive and increase an individual at risk of slipping of cold exposure; see Tools for the Job below
Activities that may put People at Risk of Slipping
Taking the bins out
Working in a yard
Loading/unloading deliveries
Customers visiting your work place
Customers visiting a shop (moving from public to employer property)
3rd parties exiting cars in employer’s car park and walking to the employer building
Any activity where a 3rd party comes to the employer from the outside
Any activity where employees must walk outside on employer property to get into work or during their working day
Poor lighting outside
Tools for Gritting and Salting
To achieve and efficient gritting/salting regime matching the tools to the size of area can be helpful.
Small Area
The simplest set up is a manageable sized bag of grit/salt (5-15kg), a bucket and a scoop. Put grit/salt in the bucket and use the scoop to spread the grit/salt about
Medium Area
A push along grit/salt spreader can work very well. Make sure the handle is high enough to push comfortably and it’s safe to use and clear blockages
This may require a separate risk assessment and training
Ensure it doesn’t increase the risk of a bucket and scoop
Large Area
Pull along salt spreader i.e. pulled by a small tractor unit like a ride on mower or a vehicle (useful for a school or large delivery or logistics areas)
This will require its own risk assessment and documented trained records
When to Grit or Salt
Grit/Salt needs to be spread at the right time as salt doesn’t work instantly – and it’s not intended to melt large quantities of snow or ice. It needs sufficient time to dissolve into the moisture on the floor (so best early in evening before the frost settles and/or early in the morning before employees arrive).
There are some products such as ‘Icemelt’ which claim to work better directly on ice already formed.
grit/salt down (ensure light is sufficient and no one working)
For larger sites (more employees), a more structure strategy would be expected to manage the risk i.e. before the first shift arrives or the main influx of workers
Personnel for Gritting/Salting
It is good to ask for volunteers.
In a small business, it may be appropriate to suggest a rota, but remember to consider those who may be more vulnerable when walking on a i.e. pregnant worker, persons with mobility or health issues etc.
In a larger company, an external agency could be used
Or dedicated in house teams (these would need training an annual refresher for the arrangements; and the tasks they undertake would need risk assessing
PPE, Signage and Gritting/Salting Training
PPE
Anyone gritting/salting outside would need to be provided with warm high visibility clothing (waterproof if snow), suitable boots, a hat and gloves.
A head torch or torch might be useful and access to a radio or mobile phone
Signage
If you need to direct people, visitors, employees, 3rd parties away from ungritted/unsalted areas use clear signage. Different signs will be available from signage suppliers.
Training
Once a plan or strategy for gritting/salting has been decided it should be trained to employees. All training should be recorded.
Further Thoughts on Gritting and Salting
if stored incorrectly grit/salt will go rock hard and be useless (moisture) – keep it stored a dry place
starts to be less effective around minus 6 degrees
no point gritting in the rain as will be washed away
can get quite messy in terms of entry to buildings on footwear
over time grit/salt tends to help degrade stone, concrete and tarmac
another option is an ice carpet, there are other trip hazards to be aware of but it may prevent grit/salt being walked into a premise if highly trafficked such as a shop
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Safewell has been working alongside us for several years now and I have had the pleasure of working with them for the past few years. They are always professional with their approach and always on hand if we require any ad-hoc advice to support our health and safety needs. I cannot recommend them enough and would definitely suggest to anyone looking for advice or services in regards to anything health and safety related to contact Safewell.
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