Went to clear some ice and snow (blog warning)

downfader

I went out to the bus this morning and had to walk in the road. I was sliding around like crazy and this is atfer a thaw.Got on the bus, went to work, assumed the warmer temps would clear a load of ice and muck away.

Did it hell.

I had a 1/4 mile walk from the bus stop and realised my whole street was still a long sheet of ice. The only safe place to walk was IN the road. When traffic appeared I moved onto the ice and waited, and while I waited I thought to myself: "Dammit, get the spade and the wheel barrow out and clear some ice away!"

I got in and went to get the stuff only to realise that the wheelbarrow is broken. The wheel is knackered. Cant just leave piles of broken ice by the side of the pavement as theres a lot of elderly and a couple of blind residents. Bit worried if they'd slip, but with a barrow atleast I could push the ice onto a local field out of the way to melt.

Anyone else cleared some pavements? I've done about 50 metres outside my house and thats about it. Its forecast to snow again tonight so we'll prolly be back to square one if the temp drops.

snakehips

I cleared the pavement outside my house about a week ago, What a mistake. The pavement got wet , then froze again. It was more slippery than the rest of the street which still had snow on top of packed ice.
Kids were walking past my house , realising how slippery it was , then going back for a second go . this time taking a run at it !

Snake

My Library

salsarider79

Just take some salt out there. Not much else you can do really. I'm due to be cycling to work tommorow. God I hate winter.

MattC59

Believe it or not, and this is rediculous......... If you clear or grit a path or road, and someone slips and hurts themsleves, then believes you didn't clear it properly, you can be held responsible and sued.

I did say it was rediculous !!!!

downfader

MattC59 wrote:

Believe it or not, and this is rediculous......... If you clear or grit a path or road, and someone slips and hurts themsleves, then believes you didn't clear it properly, you can be held responsible and sued.

I did say it was rediculous !!!!

Others have said this before. I could find no evidence online of anyone who has been sued so I think thats a modern myth tbh. IMO I'd rather people could walk with a little stability rather than on knobbly and slippery icy bumps. :?

fossyant

Cleared about 300 yards of road - 6" deep of snow. About 4 of us did it as the cars couldn't get up the hill.

nolf

I cleared the snow from my path.

Then I hosed it down and got out the pop corn.

stevekosky

According to the magazine I have just received from Hertfordshire Councty Council, you will not be held responsible if you clear snow and ice and someone falls.

I thought you would be but they say no and the article could be held up as evidence if anybody did ever sue.

Ollieda

MattC59 wrote:

Believe it or not, and this is rediculous......... If you clear or grit a path or road, and someone slips and hurts themsleves, then believes you didn't clear it properly, you can be held responsible and sued.

I did say it was rediculous !!!!

Only applies to private land so clearing the pavement shouldn't get your in problems. I doubt it would really stand up in court if it was a private individual suing a private individual (i.e. your neighbour comes to say hi and slips on your driveway that you had cleared). It's ment really for big companies...i.e. if Tesco cleared a path through the snow in their car park and suggested somehow that that was the safe path to use then they owe you a duty of care to keep the path safe to use. There of course has to be give in that the company has a duty of care to it's employees to maintain a safe work place and it has been held in the courts that not dealing with the snow and ice in a car park would be a breech of this duty were an employee to slip......bit of a catch 22

Ollieda

One thing to watch out for though is that it is illegal to take grit from the grit bins on the side of the road and use it yourself. It's only there for the council to come and grit the pavements.......if they ever do!

on the road

MattC59 wrote:

Believe it or not, and this is rediculous......... If you clear or grit a path or road, and someone slips and hurts themsleves, then believes you didn't clear it properly, you can be held responsible and sued.

I did say it was rediculous !!!!

There was a bit on this on a news item a few days ago, apparently they could sue you but they would have to prove you were reckless and they would find it extremely hard to get anywhere with this.

Stewie Griffin

Ollieda wrote:

One thing to watch out for though is that it is illegal to take grit from the grit bins on the side of the road and use it yourself. It's only there for the council to come and grit the pavements.......if they ever do!

I used to think that, apparently not though.

There are 300 boxes around the borough holding salt and grit, and residents and businesses are encouraged to use them to treat areas.

http://www.brent.gov.uk/home.nsf/news/LBB-1018

Also from the same page

We have 120 tonnes left, enough for one day of gritting. We have used over 1500 tonnes so far this winter and we have an order for 800 tonnes outstanding.

downfader

Stewie Griffin wrote:

Ollieda wrote:

One thing to watch out for though is that it is illegal to take grit from the grit bins on the side of the road and use it yourself. It's only there for the council to come and grit the pavements.......if they ever do!

I used to think that, apparently not though.

There are 300 boxes around the borough holding salt and grit, and residents and businesses are encouraged to use them to treat areas.

http://www.brent.gov.uk/home.nsf/news/LBB-1018

Also from the same page

We have 120 tonnes left, enough for one day of gritting. We have used over 1500 tonnes so far this winter and we have an order for 800 tonnes outstanding.

I said about this before elsewhere - theres a grit bin at the bottom of a hill around the corner from me. The council put a padlock on it. :?

Stewie Griffin

downfader wrote:

Stewie Griffin wrote:

Ollieda wrote:

One thing to watch out for though is that it is illegal to take grit from the grit bins on the side of the road and use it yourself. It's only there for the council to come and grit the pavements.......if they ever do!

I used to think that, apparently not though.

There are 300 boxes around the borough holding salt and grit, and residents and businesses are encouraged to use them to treat areas.

http://www.brent.gov.uk/home.nsf/news/LBB-1018

Also from the same page

We have 120 tonnes left, enough for one day of gritting. We have used over 1500 tonnes so far this winter and we have an order for 800 tonnes outstanding.

I said about this before elsewhere - theres a grit bin at the bottom of a hill around the corner from me. The council put a padlock on it. :?

Ours are probably empty anyway .

Ollieda

Stewie Griffin wrote:

downfader wrote:

Stewie Griffin wrote:

Ollieda wrote:

One thing to watch out for though is that it is illegal to take grit from the grit bins on the side of the road and use it yourself. It's only there for the council to come and grit the pavements.......if they ever do!

I used to think that, apparently not though.

There are 300 boxes around the borough holding salt and grit, and residents and businesses are encouraged to use them to treat areas.

http://www.brent.gov.uk/home.nsf/news/LBB-1018

Also from the same page

We have 120 tonnes left, enough for one day of gritting. We have used over 1500 tonnes so far this winter and we have an order for 800 tonnes outstanding.

I said about this before elsewhere - theres a grit bin at the bottom of a hill around the corner from me. The council put a padlock on it. :?

Ours are probably empty anyway .

Everyone in our area got a letter from the council politely reminding us that it was illegal to take grit from them.

Maybe it differs from council to council.

sheepworryingbhoy

Build a big bonfire & throw all the ice on it.......

on the road

That's if you can get it started!

downfader

Well... ache a bit now.. cleared about 50 metres of the slush and ice around one of the bus stops and outside mine and a neighbours house. I got to the end of the strip I'd cleared, looked up and an old boy on the otherside of the road had been doing the same. :shock: 8)

I managed to throw half of it down the drain as it was loose enough to do so.

Pross

Ollieda wrote:

Stewie Griffin wrote:

downfader wrote:

Stewie Griffin wrote:

Ollieda wrote:

One thing to watch out for though is that it is illegal to take grit from the grit bins on the side of the road and use it yourself. It's only there for the council to come and grit the pavements.......if they ever do!

I used to think that, apparently not though.

There are 300 boxes around the borough holding salt and grit, and residents and businesses are encouraged to use them to treat areas.

http://www.brent.gov.uk/home.nsf/news/LBB-1018

Also from the same page

We have 120 tonnes left, enough for one day of gritting. We have used over 1500 tonnes so far this winter and we have an order for 800 tonnes outstanding.

I said about this before elsewhere - theres a grit bin at the bottom of a hill around the corner from me. The council put a padlock on it. :?

Ours are probably empty anyway .

Everyone in our area got a letter from the council politely reminding us that it was illegal to take grit from them.

Maybe it differs from council to council.

That's to use on private land though not for you to grit the highway. In my area the Council are filling the bins regularly but people are turning up in vans and nicking it all plus there are some beautifully gritted drives and paths in the area while some of the cul-de-sacs are impassable :evil:

I've been out with a neighbour clearing our cul-de-sac, the pair of us did the whole length to the main bus route which is gritted (about 200m). The grit bin has been emptied again though but hoping it will stay above freezing.

downfader

I did a bit of googling after seeing some interesting tools used on the news tonight. Theres a manually pushed snow plough for 60 quid which looks cool as long as its ploughed up before people tread all over it:


8)

Plastic shovels are cool tools too, though you need steel if its all been stood on.

If you're walking on compacted snow and thick ice I've just got hold of some spiked overshoes (not the home made ones this time). Will try them out tomorrow. If I break my a*** going over I'll let you all know.

crumbschief

nolf wrote:

I cleared the snow from my path.

Then I hosed it down and got out the pop corn.

Lol good one,that reminds me of the Lee Evans line of It's The Shoes,c'mon lads shine em up.

skyd0g

...jus' clearin' off here Boss! 8)

Ben6899

Ollieda wrote:

One thing to watch out for though is that it is illegal to take grit from the grit bins on the side of the road and use it yourself. It's only there for the council to come and grit the pavements.......if they ever do!

Tell that to the homeless guy who helped me (and others) out last year. I came to a downhill approach to a junction only to see a scruffy looking bloke doing Swan Lake auditions in the middle of the road and on the slope. As I got nearer, I noticed a half-bottle of White Lightening on top of the BT cabinet. The BT cabinet door was smashed and the homeless, pissed up guy was using the broken door as a shovel and helping himself to grit for the greater good of the road users.

It brought a tear to me eye.

downfader

skyd0g wrote:

...jus' clearin' off here Boss! 8)

He's on now. Hombre, fullum 4

Homer J

^
You got a pic of that bird washing the car