Factors to be taken into account in drawing up the arrangements

The main priority will be for clearing snow and applying salt/grit to the main access pathway(s) to the establishment. Consideration should be given to emergency escape routes which should be kept reasonably clear for evacuation purposes.  The person responsible will need to use their discretion in determining secondary priority areas such as other footpaths, on-site roadways, car or vehicle parking areas and hard areas that clients, residents or staff may need to use.

Snow and ice clearing duties should, as far as possible, be counted as part of the normal working hours of staff, and as such, other non-essential duties may have to be left.

It is recommended that a simple plan of the site and buildings be drawn up showing the paths or other hard areas that will or may need to be cleared and monitored. This plan should be kept in a ‘Snow and Ice’ folder along with details of delegated staff, written instructions, inspection log, location of tools/equipment/suppliers etc.

If there is early warning of snow or icy conditions e.g. via local radio or television, Managers/ Unit-Coordinators etc. may wish to consider arranging for priority areas to be salted and/or gritted in advance e.g. previous afternoon/evening. 

Arrangements should be made for access routes to be inspected regularly following the salting and/or gritting to monitor its effectiveness, and apply more salt/grit if required.  It is suggested that inspections be done at the start of the day, before lunch and before end of the working day, and if necessary before and during any evening sessions. It is advised that the results of all such inspections be recorded in a simple log, forming part of the ‘Snow and Ice‘ folder.  An example form is shown in Appendix 2.

Where practicable all staff (and clients etc.) should be reminded of the need to wear appropriate clothing and footwear (warm and non-slip) when coming to the establishment in severe weather conditions, as it will seldom be possible to clear all snow and ice from a site.  In particular, walking from a parked car or transport vehicles to the nearest access path may be hazardous.

Paths

Paths should be made as clear as practicable. A pre-event risk assessment should be undertaken to determine the paths that should be cleared immediately and the ones that may be left until later (you can use your clearance/gritting plan as part of your priority assessment by colour coding clearance routes). With this in mind it may be necessary for some entrances/areas to be temporarily closed; this could be achieved by taping off areas that continue to be a slip hazard as long as management have given consideration to emergency escape routes. This information should be communicated to staff and anyone else potentially affected e.g. parents, carers, visitors as soon as possible.

Other Areas

In addition to pathways and agreed access areas, in all cases access pathways should be cleared from parking spaces provided for the disabled, adjacent to premises entrances.

Please Note: Whilst it is not appropriate for staff to clear or salt/grit areas falling outside the premises boundary, e.g. pavements/public footpaths, roads forming part of the public highway, staff employed on snow clearance should consider clearing the immediate footway and access points to the premises being careful not to make other areas more dangerous in doing so.