Snow and ice on your property

theboytheboy

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Portsmouth
Anyone know the situation with regard to dealing with snow and ice on your property? Specifically we have a large DIY livery yard as well as business units on our place.

It's not such an issue on farm tracks but in the concrete stable yard or concrete roads etc outside units.

Neither I or my sister live on site and some customers will be on our premises from 5.00 am and others may be there at 10.00 pm. For us to grit the area is a large job and to keep it gritted would be even bigger.

Should we:

Put up warning signs, and reminder to wear sensible footware but don't grit.

Put up signs etc and provide grit and bins for tennants to grit if required according to their own judgement.

Attempt to grit but accept that we won't always cover everything everyone it's icy

I've read that if you grit you are more at risk of legal action if someone sues. Which seems bloody daft......

I hate this bloody compensation culture.....

Any usefull input?
 

Chickcatcher

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
SG9
Surely it must be in your own best interest to get out of bed early enough to get the site clear before anyone arrives on site "Customer relations" or pay someone to do it for you.
We run livestock that has lorry movements at all times of day and the last thing I want is hassle. I have got a 9ft Snow brush on front of tractor and try to get the snow moved before anyone drives over it. A fork lift this week end was also necessary as depth and type of snow was heavy (shift it sweep it). Salt is then not essential but drain clearance is.
As an aside a Large local operation in the next village cant be bothered and at 9;30 am Monday a full 21 hours after it snowed an Articulated delivery could not even manage to get off of the highway when it's tractor unit hit the snow on the industrial estate, so then blocked the road!
 

theboytheboy

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Portsmouth
Surely it must be in your own best interest to get out of bed early enough to get the site clear before anyone arrives on site "Customer relations" or pay someone to do it for you.
We run livestock that has lorry movements at all times of day and the last thing I want is hassle. I have got a 9ft Snow brush on front of tractor and try to get the snow moved before anyone drives over it. A fork lift this week end was also necessary as depth and type of snow was heavy (shift it sweep it). Salt is then not essential but drain clearance is.
As an aside a Large local operation in the next village cant be bothered and at 9;30 am Monday a full 21 hours after it snowed an Articulated delivery could not even manage to get off of the highway when it's tractor unit hit the snow on the industrial estate, so then blocked the road!
I would have thought it was in our interest but I'm finding lots of people saying it's not if someone slips anyway.
 

theboytheboy

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Portsmouth
We have placed 4 grit bins on yard with one by each entrance and two elsewhere on yard. Insurance rep said one way or another your covered....either they will pay out compensation or pay to defend you if they felt reasonable steps had been taken.
We have also reminded customers that tipping water buckets etc on frozen concrete is not helpful and to tip directly into drains as well as suggesting that they all consider what footwear they use in certain weather.
 

Exfarmer

Member
Location
Bury St Edmunds
It is a fallacy that warning signs are an admission of guilt. Do have signs explaining that you cannot always avoid icey conditions in the yard. Provide grit especially if people are moving horses around.
Remember the worst ice is black ice and it would be negligent if you do not takes steps such as failing to provide salt and grit.
 
Location
Suffolk
We got one of these at work, just before the first ice & snow. After years of hand sprinkling job's done in an hour and a half! Two old gits, one pushing one following with a wheelbarrow & spare sacks.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Push-Law...Capacity-With-Flow-Rate-Control-/332287259318
We've got soooo many signs up & yellow paint on all steps. One more sign won't make any difference but at least it's there & you've issued the warning!
SS
 

Still Farming

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
South Wales UK
As said .
Salt-or white salt no so much mess to designated marked walk ways.
Risk assessments.
If your business and charge people YOUR liable .
Check your Insurance too.
Take photo's to record/prove what you have done .
 

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As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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