Car Park Gritting - Avoiding Slips in the Workplace

Car park gritting is vital to prevent injury to staff and customers from slipping and sliding on ice.

Accidents caused by trips and falls are a major cause of injuries among workers and members of the public. In 2009, just over 20 per cent of injuries reported to health and safety were caused by falls at work and of these a quarter of those injured were off work for more than a month.

This is why it is important to have the correct health and safety measures in place, such as car park gritting, to prevent work-related injuries. Car park gritting ensures public access areas are clear of snow and ice to guard against costly legal claims, lost revenue from staff absences and subsequent damage to reputation.

Ice Watch carry out a range of winter services, including car park gritting, and we shall examine the importance of this below.

Car Park Gritting  - contact us now for a free quotation.

Why Is Slipping So Dangerous?

Watch any episode of ‘You’ve Been Framed’ and you could have been forgiven for thinking that slipping and falling is a minor, even a funny matter. But for most adults, landing with your full bodyweight on your hands, wrists, or any part of your skeleton can potentially cause serious injury.

While you might get away with a bit of bruising, simply falling at the wrong angle can result in broken bones or even spinal and head injuries - the kind of injuries which take months to heal, or even result in permanent impairment.

Not surprisingly, people affected in this way may well consider a legal claim in order to compensate them for loss of earnings or the costs of medical care. So for any business that has failed to put measures in place to minimise slipping, such as car park gritting, the cost can be very high indeed.

Factors Contributing to Slipping in Winter

Statistics show the numbers of slip and trip accidents rise over the autumn and winter months and some of the reasons for this are: less daylight hours, rainwater, wet leaves on paths and ice, and frost and snow forming.

When the light falls in winter, this can prevent staff and customers seeing potential dangers ahead, so it is important to install adequate lighting.

Fallen leaves are another risk in autumn and winter as wet leaves can become a slipping hazard. Leaves can also conceal places where workers can trip, so should be cleared to prevent accidents.

Wet areas on paths, grass, or mud have the potential to cause injury by slipping. In addition, the presence of snow and ice on pavements and delivery areas leaves your workforce vulnerable. We shall look into more detail about car park gritting and other ways to keep your workforce safe in icy weather below.

Prevention Measures

There are a number of measures to take to minimise slips during frosty conditions.

It is vital to to keep abreast of the weather conditions and to take action when freezing weather is forecast. If sub-zero temperatures are predicted there must be adequate procedures in place to prevent ice forming and to divert pedestrians away from hazardous spots.

Ensuring potential accident spots are gritted in icy weather is one way to keep your workforce safe. Car park gritting works in one of two ways: either as a preventative measure to stop ice-forming or to melt existing snow or ice.

Car park gritting, and other forms of gritting, should be done when ice, frost, or snow is forecast or when car parks are likely to be wet or damp and the ground temperature drops to or below zero.

The best time for gritting is early evening, before the frost gets a chance to settle, or early morning before staff and customers arrive at the workplace - which means that it requires people on call at unsocial hours for gritting to work properly.

Salt does not create instantaneous results, it takes time to take effect and it takes longer to work on pedestrian routes than roads and car parks - which is why it is important to employ the services of an expert.

In addition, there are are also set amounts of grit to use per meter, and certain conditions where grit will be ineffective (i.e. when it is raining heavily or when compacted snow turns to ice). Gritters need to be knowledgeable about when and where to use the grit to achieve the best results.

Risk assessments must also be carried out to identify the places most prone to ice forming. This can include car parks, building entrances, walkways, ramps, short cuts and zones that are constantly in the shade or wet.

It takes experience to pin-point potential hazards, especially if the risk assessor is very familiar with a particular building, as some areas can be easily overlooked.

These preventative measures, combined with the need for up-to-date reports, mean that the use of a private gritting contractor is the most effective way to ensure your workforce is kept safe.

The Easy Way To Guard Against Ice Slips This Winter

Ice Watch have the experience to properly assess your premises, keep up-to-date records and they have the resources, equipment and experience to use the correct gritting procedures for the most effective results.

They monitor highly localised weather reports from WeatherQuest and grit only as and when needed to keep costs to a minimum and to ensure no salt is wasted. All our clients are covered by our £10 million public liability insurance.