Snow Clearing & Gritting

ICE AND SNOW CLEARANCE AT GILMOREHILL AND GARSCUBE CAMPUSES

To ensure the safety of staff, visitors and Students at universities premises, and to satisfy legal requirements for the provision of a safe working environment, this best practice note offers guidance on a common sense approach to the clearance of snow and ice during periods of bad weather.

Senior estates management and directors have a duty to take ‘reasonable’ steps to keep premises free from danger, such requirements are also placed on all staff (not just senior management) to consider their own as well as their colleague’s health, safety and wellbeing at all times.

Senior management should consider formally defining documenting and allocating the following responsibilities:

•  Senior Estates Management and Directors

 1.  Responsible for ensuring (before the winter term) that all sites under their control are fully equipped with appropriate snow clearing and protective equipment, and adequate stocks of rock salt and grit etc   

 2.  Responsible for rearranging Caretaker/Building Supervisor duties to ensure snow and ice clearance is continued should those usually responsible for the task is absent from work.

 3.  A formal snow clearance/gritting risk assessment should be carried out in advance of bad weather; Your risk assessment must include reference to manual handling issues, personal protective equipment for staff and how the University will communicate with staff, students and visitors the appropriate access routes to use during bad weather.

•  Team Supervisors/Team Members

 1. Responsible for the immediate clearance of snow and ice in designated areas In line with Universities policy and gritting plan.

 2. Responsible for ensuring that equipment provided to clear snow and ice is adequate for purpose and maintained in a satisfactory condition , supplies of rock salt and grit should be monitored throughout the winter period and replenished promptly.

 3  Responsible for  temporary closing access areas around the campus in line with campus policy\gritting plan that are not to be cleared or are lower down the gritting schedule, such areas should be clearly marked (eg.signage,tape etc) Records of clearances and access route closures should be kept.

•  Management/Senior Management Directors

 1. Responsible for drafting and periodically reviewing the winter clearance policy & gritting plan to ensure its adequacy and suitability.

 2. Should agree the exact routes and areas of the campus to be cleared; this information should be communicated to all members of staff and security well in advance of any bad weather. However this guidance note offers suggested clearance routes\ criteria for consideration

 3. Arrange with security to monitor weather conditions anticipate when snow\ ice clearance may be required.

PATHS – should be made as clear as possible. A 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 & Visitors and Students as soon as possible

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

Please Note: It is not appropriate for University staff to clear or grit areas falling outside the Campus  site boundary, e.g. pavements/public footpaths, roads forming part of the public highway, etc

•  All Staff

1. Responsible for reporting to the Site Manager/ Supervisor any situation where the recommended action contained within the Universities winter clearance policy/gritting plan has not been carried out

2. Responsible for safeguarding own and colleagues’ health & safety in bad weather. Staff should also wear footwear/clothing appropriate to the conditions

Method of Clearance: A pathway of at least one meter wide should be cleared; this will allow suitable access for pedestrians and wheelchairs. Snow and ice should be completely removed using a snow scraper or shovel, snow and ice should NOT be brushed, or dissolved using hot water, as this will make surfaces more hazardous. Once the path has been cleared rock salt should be used to assist in providing extra grip. Paths should be regularly checked throughout the day to ensure re-freezing or further snow coverage has not occurred.

Additional care should be taken when clearing sloping pathways and steps, it may be necessary for safety reasons to consider the temporary closure of some non essential areas of the University (e.g. steep pathways, car parks, etc) to avoid risks to Staff, Visitors and Students.  An assessment of the situation should be made by site staff in conjunction with the Team supervisor

All persons clearing snow should be provided with suitable snow scrapers, shovels, rock salt, protective gloves, footwear and clothing (i.e. high visibility vests), and staff should take regular breaks from the task.

This note is for guidance and to ensure current best practice is followed. Use in conjunction with appropriate risk assessments and the Universities clearance & gritting plan (suggested draft priority plan attached.)

1 = Highest Priority       2 = Essential Priority

3 = Desirable Priority     4 = No Priority

 See campus drawings for Priority areas:

Garscube Gritting and Snow Clearance Priority Map

Gilmorehill Campus Gritting and Snow Clearance Priority Map