Two years on from the big freeze has business learnt about the importance of employing a gritting contractor.
Two years ago, on 22nd February 2018 Great Britain and Ireland and much of Europe was affected by a spell of severe cold weather called the ‘Beast from the East.’ Much of the United Kingdom was hit by freezing winds and temperatures fell as low as -30C. Many main and smaller roads were closed, and trains and flights were cancelled disrupting travel across Europe. Hundreds of schools had to close, and some businesses advised workers to stay at home.
How Clearway Gritting helped businesses stay open during the ‘Beast from the East’
During the winter of 2017/2018 the UK experienced a particularly harsh winter with snow late in the season and very low temperatures so Clearway Gritting worked with our private clients to clear their access roads and the company car park to their private business, industrial parks, retail parks, supermarkets, schools, universities or hospitals during the extended winter gritting season. Clearway Gritting teams used Met Office forecasts to help predict where the bad weather would hit. Our Clearway Gritting teams working from our depots at St Albans, Aylesbury, Harlow, Barnet and Milton Keynes worked alongside the council gritting teams to keep businesses in Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Essex and North London open during the ‘Beast from the East.’
Clearway Gritting teams grit and salt businesses to keep them open in heavy snowfall
During the 2017/18 winter gritting season our Clearway Gritting teams gritted over 25,000 sites and used approximately 3,000 tonnes of salt each month to keep our clients open during the heavy snowfall. We cleared business premises so their workers could safely drive to and from work and by clearing customer car parks, paths and private roads businesses were able to re-open as quickly as possible after the heavy snowfall.
Peter Boniface, Operations Manager, Clearway Gritting, St Albans, Hertfordshire said:
‘During the ‘Beast from the East’ our telephone never stopped ringing. We got inundated with calls from businesses that hadn’t prepared for the bad weather and hadn’t employed a winter gritting contractor. Unfortunately, when the bad weather arrives it is too late to organise a winter gritting contractor as all our winter gritting teams are out servicing existing clients clearing snow and laying grit and salt at their premises. When we meet clients to discuss their company gritting requirements, we discuss the unpredictability of the winter gritting season and make them aware that they must plan for snow at any time of the year between early November and April. We check their business premises to review where we need to be gritting, as we often find the most important areas are the company car park where staff and customers park and paths and access roads.’
Peter Boniface, Operations Manager, Clearway Gritting, St Albans, Hertfordshire continued:
'The flooding we are currently experiencing is evidence of how climate change is creating extreme weather conditions for the United Kingdom, in the same way as the ‘Beast from the East’ in 2017/18. Although we haven’t had any snowfall this season there is still the possibility that it could come before April 2020, so we recommend that all businesses are prepared and employ a winter gritting contractor now. It is worth remembering that Clearway Gritting also offers preventative and reactive road and pavement gritting for the build-up of ice at your business. The general impression is that this winter has been mild, but our winter gritting teams have been called out many times this season when night temperatures fell due to the risk that ice will form. Such conditions are dangerous for your staff and customers. By outsourcing your winter gritting requirements and employing a local winter gritting contractor you will have peace of mind that no-one will be injured at your workplace. For more information and a free initial consultation to discuss our winter gritting contracts call our St Albans winter gritting team on 01727 851837.’
In Summary...
Clearway Gritting offers your business cost effective and carefully planned preventative and reactive road and pavement gritting for the effective prevention of ice and the clearance of snow.
