clearing the drive and griting?

[rachelle]

Do you clear access to your house for the parents? I have this morning but my driveway is flooded due to the sleet so have planked that and salted steps etc but it's costing a fortune in rock salt! Do you salt and clear or is there an easier way? I would hate for today's mum to slip with mindee (however she will more than likely get wet feet and socks!)

[sarah707]

I try my best, have a sign up saying be careful, have given parents a copy of my RA and I suppose at the end of the day that's what my insurance is for :rolleyes: :D

[Daftbat]

I have put some grit down but sometimes clearing the drive makes it more precarious so i tend to leave it alone in the main especially when its deep snow.

[Ripeberry]

Best to keep it as snow as clearing sometimes seems to make it more slippy!

[TheBTeam]

I try my best, have a sign up saying be careful, have given parents a copy of my RA and I suppose at the end of the day that's what my insurance is for :rolleyes: :D

I heard something interesting yesterday which i am going to query with my insurance. It was from someone who was staying in a hotel, they asked to have the steps at the back of their room cleared so they could get out into the garden and were told by the hotel that they could not put salt down, if they fell after it was salted their insurance would say they could have contributed to the accident, they said well what if i fall if it is untreated, and they said that would be classed as an 'act of god'. They checked this out with their solicitor and he confirmed it.

This follows on by fluke to something another childminder told me yesterday about a taxi drivers car insurance she knew of, that invalidated his insurance and would not pay when he had an engine fire and tried to put it out with a fire extinguisher he carried.

I am going to be querying with both my insurance companies, the position! I do salt my drive and when practical i clear snow off, but am wondering now what their stance is on this.

[Heaven Scent]

Everyday clear a pathway from the entrance of the drive to the front door and put down sand (only play/silver sand but its very dark in colour and quite course so I've never used it for the children) and normal table salt. In fact DS, DH & I were out doing it at regular intervals yesterday. It seems to help but its not totally frost/snow proof it is helping to defrost any snow that falls on it though. Our local supermarket has run out of bags of salt and I only have less than half a 3kg bag left. I may have to buy some dishwasher salt if they have any of that left!!:angry: :angry:

Unlike Sarah707 I haven't put up any signs as I just don't really know what to put.:blush: :blush:

[PixiePetal]

Everyday clear a pathway from the entrance of the drive to the front door and put down sand (only play/silver sand but its very dark in colour and quite course so I've never used it for the children) and normal table salt. In fact DS, DH & I were out doing it at regular intervals yesterday. It seems to help but its not totally frost/snow proof it is helping to defrost any snow that falls on it though. Our local supermarket has run out of bags of salt and I only have less than half a 3kg bag left. I may have to buy some dishwasher salt if they have any of that left!!:angry: :angry:

Unlike Sarah707 I haven't put up any signs as I just don't really know what to put.:blush: :blush:

Our local supermarkets have no salt - table/dishwasher or anything else. DH suggested cat litter!

Any ideas on that one?

I clear my path if I can but we live down a country lane which is not gritted. DH is out now with his tractor clearing some of the lanes but no go from my house really :rolleyes:

[Pudding Girl]

if they fell after it was salted their insurance would say they could have contributed to the accident, they said well what if i fall if it is untreated, and they said that would be classed as an 'act of god'.

this is what I was led to understand too. I've left mine as it's got about a foot of snow on top of about 4 inches of compacted snow on top of another 2 inches of ice, so it's pretty ok to walk on actually at the moment. Am dreading the thaw when it comes, especially if it then freezes again! :panic:

[angiemog]

I heard something interesting yesterday which i am going to query with my insurance. It was from someone who was staying in a hotel, they asked to have the steps at the back of their room cleared so they could get out into the garden and were told by the hotel that they could not put salt down, if they fell after it was salted their insurance would say they could have contributed to the accident, they said well what if i fall if it is untreated, and they said that would be classed as an 'act of god'. They checked this out with their solicitor and he confirmed it.

This follows on by fluke to something another childminder told me yesterday about a taxi drivers car insurance she knew of, that invalidated his insurance and would not pay when he had an engine fire and tried to put it out with a fire extinguisher he carried.

I am going to be querying with both my insurance companies, the position! I do salt my drive and when practical i clear snow off, but am wondering now what their stance is on this.

I heard this yesterday too. This was a slightly different situation in a church car park. Two people fell over one broke both arms and the other one. The same was said that as the carpark hadn't been gritted or anything then the church wasn't liable however if they had attempted to clear or grit and someone had fallen then its considered tampered with and the church would then be liable. The same phrase was used would be an act of god (had to chuckle given it was on church grounds hee hee )Crazy world we live in!

[FizzysFriends]

Our local supermarkets have no salt - table/dishwasher or anything else. DH suggested cat litter!

Any ideas on that one?

I clear my path if I can but we live down a country lane which is not gritted. DH is out now with his tractor clearing some of the lanes but no go from my house really :rolleyes:

Have you tried builders yards for grit salt?

[FizzysFriends]

this is what I was led to understand too. I've left mine as it's got about a foot of snow on top of about 4 inches of compacted snow on top of another 2 inches of ice, so it's pretty ok to walk on actually at the moment. Am dreading the thaw when it comes, especially if it then freezes again! :panic:

I was told this is why school don't grit :rolleyes:

[Tink]

I cleard all the path at the front of my house and also the path down my garden so e could have fun in the snow.
I also gritted it what a waste of time that was I can't see my garden let alone the path, hopefully it will reappear someday:rolleyes:

[Pipsqueak]

could not put salt down, if they fell after it was salted their insurance would say they could have contributed to the accident, they said well what if i fall if it is untreated, and they said that would be classed as an 'act of god'. They checked this out with their solicitor and he confirmed it.

.

i was always under the impression that this still holds true - hence the reason I don't clear my drive/path

[PixiePetal]

Have you tried builders yards for grit salt?

Thanks!!

Will tell DH, if he can get the car out and our local place is open!!!! Whole town was at a standstill before Christmas:rolleyes:

[OrlandoBelle]

I heard something interesting yesterday which i am going to query with my insurance. It was from someone who was staying in a hotel, they asked to have the steps at the back of their room cleared so they could get out into the garden and were told by the hotel that they could not put salt down, if they fell after it was salted their insurance would say they could have contributed to the accident, they said well what if i fall if it is untreated, and they said that would be classed as an 'act of god'. They checked this out with their solicitor and he confirmed it.


My husband worked as a manager for Tesco agrees with this. Apparently as soon as you put salt down, you are assuming all responsibility for that pathway and could be sued if someone slipped on it; hence why supermarkets don't always salt pathways. If they do grit the car parks you will see a sign stating that they do not accept any responsibility for any accidents that occur in the car park.

Might be worth checking with NCMA insurance to see how they stand on it.

We have cleared the snow off our path with a shovel to make walking up to the house easier, but have not gritted it. It's not icy anyway, just snowy. I have also sent out copies of risk assessment to parents and extreme weather policy.

[PixiePetal]

My husband worked as a manager for Tesco agrees with this. Apparently as soon as you put salt down, you are assuming all responsibility for that pathway and could be sued if someone slipped on it; hence why supermarkets don't always salt pathways. If they do grit the car parks you will see a sign stating that they do not accept any responsibility for any accidents that occur in the car park.

Might be worth checking with NCMA insurance to see how they stand on it.

We have cleared the snow off our path with a shovel to make walking up to the house easier, but have not gritted it. It's not icy anyway, just snowy. I have also sent out copies of risk assessment to parents and extreme weather policy.

So is it ok to clear the snow without salting? Or is this the same??

[OrlandoBelle]

So is it ok to clear the snow without salting? Or is this the same??

Hubby says yes - we're just moved the fresh snow. It's not ice (yet!) Although its very wet now and will prob ice over tonight. It's hard to know what to do for the best. I'm 6 months pregnant and don't want to slip on the path, but can't grit it because of the insurance. I guess safety comes first though. We will grit ours if it gets icy and hope that no parents are nasty enough to sue us if they slip!

[madasahatter]

Have you tried builders yards for grit salt?

In many places you'll be lucky if the builders yard have any either. DH sold out 40 tonnes in 2 days and their next delivery not due until mid january. Currently all councils have comandeered all salt production in UK and Ireland (that's what the salt mines in cheshire told DH when he wanted to bring his delivery forward). The council rang also him this morning to see if they had any that the council could have.

Personally I clear and grit the paths and steps to my doors for two reasons
1. it definitely makes the steps less dangerous
2. to reduce the amount of snow and slush trailed into the house as when the paths are clear it is easier for children (and adults) to brush/bash it off. Also most of it drops off the pushchair wheels between the gate and the house.

If you have no grit I would use sand on it's own as it will increase grip and make paths less slippy. I use old play sand up this way.

[FizzysFriends]

In many places you'll be lucky if the builders yard have any either. DH sold out 40 tonnes in 2 days and their next delivery not due until mid january. Currently all councils have comandeered all salt production in UK and Ireland (that's what the salt mines in cheshire told DH when he wanted to bring his delivery forward). The council rang also him this morning to see if they had any that the council could have.

Personally I clear and grit the paths and steps to my doors for two reasons
1. it definitely makes the steps less dangerous
2. to reduce the amount of snow and slush trailed into the house as when the paths are clear it is easier for children (and adults) to brush/bash it off. Also most of it drops off the pushchair wheels between the gate and the house.

If you have no grit I would use sand on it's own as it will increase grip and make paths less slippy. I use old play sand up this way.

obviously its best to stock up before winter LOL. I only have a small amount left only enough for a couple more grits.

Does your hubby work at a builders yard then?

[francinejayne]

I'm decided that I'm not doing anything on my drive - it's not too bad as it's snowy rather than icy - but if anyone did want to do something and there's no salt and grit, then the non-clumping variety of cat litter does work a treat! :laughing:

[Jollytots]

It is defininately an act of G-d if left alone and what is said above is true. I thought that I would write up something to that effect and then say that I was putting salt down but in order to walk on the path they would have to sign something to say that I was not responsible.
MIchelle

[Pauline]

I've never heard of anyone being successfully sued I often wonder if these things perpetuate themselves and get passed on as fact or H&S rules? I would have thought that so long as you have behaved reasonably you will not be successfully sued and a judge would throw it out. The same argument has been used as a reason for not getting involved in first aid, but that is not true either. :huh:

[Mollymop]

I just leave it there - the children have to walk on the paths to get to my house so I don't see what difference it would make. Plus by the time iHad cleared it away it would be back again the next day:rolleyes: