How Did Your Gritting Services Hold Up this Winter?

Snowfall this winter caused motorway chaos and disruptions to travel in some parts of the UK, and businesses with gritting services in place were in a far better position to cope than those without.

The snowfall caused school closures in Essex, Hertfordshire and Aberdeenshire, and there were major delays to public transport. Add to this the hazardous conditions caused by ice and snow on the roads and many people chose to stay at home, rather than brave the icy conditions.

As usual, all the main routes were gritted or cleared in advance of the snowfall, but the minor roads and pavements, as well as private roads, were left untreated. Unless these roads were gritted locally by volunteer residents and employees, they quickly became icy, endangering drivers and pedestrians.

Countless businesses were disrupted by snowfall this winter and some were forced to close as staff and customers were unable to get safe access to the premises.

While the freezing conditions made some companies focus on avoiding this safety issue.  A number acted quickly to put gritting services in place before the next cold snap to prevent potential injuries in and around the workplace.

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Who Was Hit the Hardest?

The companies that were hardest hit this winter were those taken by surprise, with no plan in place for gritting or clearing. Unfortunately, many of these businesses had walkways or car park areas with icy black spots that created a slipping hazard.

In some cases, businesses with no provision for gritting services meant that staff could not get into work or use the private car parking areas because they were covered in snow, so they were forced to return home. This meant at least a day’s loss of productivity which has an adverse effect on a business and is particularly unwelcome in today’s current climate.

Who Coped Best?

UK businesses that coped the best during the cold snap were those with plans in place, especially those with gritting services on standby.  A gritting service that carries out pro-active weather monitoring means that you won’t be ‘taken by surprise’ by a change in the weather:  your gritting service will tell you when the temperature plummets and carry out gritting in good time to prevent ice formation.

And if in the unlikely case that the weather is truly unpredictable and there is no advance snow warning, then your gritting service will be on the spot to clear snow and treat possible accident black spots.

Are You Ready for the Next Snowfall?

Typically, January and February are when we expect the most snow – and December snowfalls are often a light scattering in contrast to what is to come.

In mid-January, the lowest temperature recorded was -13.2C in Buxton, Norfolk, and several parts of the UK also had to brace themselves for heavy snow showers. The possibility of freezing fog in some parts of the UK makes the icy conditions even more dangerous for drivers and pedestrians. At the time of writing, temperatures were expected to get even colder as we moved into February and the possibility of snow was also predicted well into the spring.

Given the disruption caused by as little as an inch of snowfall in the UK, it makes sense for all businesses to organise contingency plans, if they haven’t done so already. The best way to ensure your businesses remains open during the snowy weather, and that your staff and customers can get to and from your premises safely, is to organise gritting services. A professional gritting service gives you complete peace of mind, whatever the weather.

Even if there is no risk of snowfall in your area, there is still a strong likelihood of below zero temperatures.  And with 2012 being the second wettest year on record (with more rain expected) just add a bit of rain into the mix and you have a recipe for ice formation on car parks, pavements, private roads and walkways.

Snow was predicted for the whole of the UK this winter and could even persist into spring 2013. If December 2012 was a wake-up call for your business, it is important to protect yourself now by signing up with Ice Watch today. We provide full risk assessments, reporting, highly localised weather monitoring and gritting services. In addition to this, all our contracted clients are covered by full liability insurance.

Gritting Services - click here for full information on how we can help