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Snow clearance guidance
Clearing snow and ice from pavements and public spaces
This guide is designed to help you to act in a
neighbourly way by safely clearing snow and ice from pavements and
public spaces.
Will I be held liable if someone falls on a path I have
cleared?
There is no law preventing you from clearing
snow and ice on the pavement outside your property, pathways to
your property or public spaces.
It is very unlikely that you would face any
legal liability, as long as you are careful, and use common sense
to ensure that you do not make the pavement or pathway clearly more
dangerous than before. People using areas affected by snow and ice
also have responsibility to be careful themselves.
What can I do to help clear snow and ice from pavements and
public spaces?
Practical advice from highway engineers is
given below. This is not a comprehensive list.
- Start early: it is much easier to remove fresh, loose snow
compared to compacted ice that has been compressed by people
walking on it.
- Do not use hot water. This will melt the
snow, but may replace it with black ice, increasing the risk of
injury.
- Be a good neighbour: some people may be unable to clear snow
and ice on paths leading to their property or indeed the footway
fronting their property. Snowfall and cold weather pose
particular difficulties for them gaining access to and from
their property or walking to the shops.
- If shovelling snow, consider where you are going to put it, so
that it does not block people’s paths, or block drainage channels.
This could shift the problem elsewhere.
- Make a pathway down the middle of the area to be cleared first,
so you have a clear surface to walk on. Then you can shovel the
snow from the centre to the sides.
- Spreading some salt on the area you have cleared will help to
prevent any ice forming. Table salt or dishwasher salt will work,
but avoid spreading on plants or grass as they may be damaged by
it. A few grams (a tablespoon) for each square metre you clear
should work. The salt found in salting bins will be needed for
keeping roads clear.
Particular care and attention should be given
to steps and steep gradients to ensure snow and ice is removed. You
might need to apply additional salt to these areas.
- Use the sun to your advantage. Removing the top layer of snow
will allow the sun to melt any ice beneath; however you will need
to cover any ice with salt to stop it refreezing overnight.
- If there is no salt available, then a little sand or ash is a
reasonable substitute. It will not have the same de-icing
properties as salt but should offer grip under foot.
Where can I find out more information about what I can do in an
emergency?
The Preparing for Emergencies web pages on
DirectGov contain useful information on how you can prepare for the
impacts of all emergencies. The pages can be found at www.direct.gov.uk/preparingforemergencies.
Why is the government publishing this information?
During the severe winter in 2009/10, many
people across the country worked very hard to keep our transport
network open. This included many members of the public who cleared
pavements and public spaces around their homes. Some people,
however, were deterred from taking action to clear pavements and
other public spaces because they feared that they might be
sued.
An independent review of the transport sector’s response to the
severe weather of 2009/10 recommended that the Department for
Transport should publish this note on good practice for members of
the public when clearing snow and ice from footways and other
public spaces. The Local Government Association published a report
on behalf of local councils which reached the same
conclusion. The government is committed, as a key part of the
Big Society agenda, to remove the barriers which may unnecessarily
prevent people from helping themselves and those around them.
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