Winter weather can make outdoor steps slippery and dangerous. Here’s what you need to know to keep yourself and your home safe.
Who does what?
- Our responsibility: It’s up to us to make sure your steps and handrails are in good condition. Please report any damage or wear and tear.
- Your responsibility: Clearing snow and ice from the steps leading up to your home and gritting them. This helps prevent ice forming and melts existing snow or ice.
What should you use?
Rock salt is the most common grit for melting ice. You can buy it from most builders’ merchants—just search for your nearest supplier on Google Maps.
When should you grit?
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) recommends gritting:
- When frost, ice, or snow is forecast.
- When steps and paths are damp or wet and temperatures are at or below freezing.
Top tip:
- Grit early in the evening before frost settles and/or early in the morning.
- Salt needs time to dissolve into moisture, it doesn’t work straight away so please take extra care.
Avoid:
- Gritting during heavy rain—the salt will wash away, leaving surfaces unprotected if the rain turns to snow.
- Waiting for snow to compact into ice—it’s much harder to treat effectively once frozen solid.
For more advice, check out this helpful government guide.
Need repairs?
If the steps or handrail outside your home need repairing or replacing report this to us by:
- Using the Contact us form on our website
- Calling our Customer Hub on 0161 448 4200
- Sending us a direct message on Facebook Messenger
We operate an out of hours service over the Christmas and New Year period, for emergency repairs only. If you need to book an emergency repair, you must call us on 0161 448 4200.
Find out more here.
